Charity of the Year AWARD Winner: Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service
Fiona and John Devine, (2nd and 3rd left) collected the award from Mike Farwell, James Cowper, (right)
With dessert devoured and table envelopes gathered for Berkshire Community Foundation, the evening’s chosen charity, it was only fitting that further award nominees should get their just desserts and the next award category should be for the title of Charity of the Year.
Fiona Bruce got things under way by announcing the six finalists: Operating in Oxfordshire, Acre Housing provides specially adapted housing for adults with learning disabilities; Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service, formed by Fiona and John Devine after their son Alexander died from a brain tumour when he was eight; Aspire Oxfordshire Community Enterprise, an employment charity that creates real work placements for disadvantaged people; Reading and Oxford- based Parents and Children Together (PACT) helps hundreds of families every year through adoption and fostering services; SpecialEffect at Charlbury, Oxfordshire assists people with disabilities to enjoy themselves through video games; and, Step by Step in Aldershot empowers young homeless people to achieve their full potential. With all the charities worthy of support and maintaining stoic performances in austere times, selecting a winner was arguably the hardest judging task for the category panel this year.
Fittingly, Mike Farwell, head of charities and education at sponsor James Cowper, presented the award to Fiona and John Devine themselves, founders of the winning charity The Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service.
“Our winner best demonstrates what pure vision, drive and passion can deliver for its beneficiaries. Borne out of the most tragic of circumstances
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our award recognises the remarkable work the charity is providing in the Thames Valley,” said the judges.
“But that is just part of the story. Through innovative fundraising the charity will be starting work on a purpose-built children's hospice in 2015. A hospice built by the local community, within the local community to care for the local community.”
The Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service provides palliative care and respite in children’s homes through the trained nurses in its Alexander’s care team. The charity is currently aiming to raise £5 million to help build Berkshire’s first children’s hospice, near Maidenhead.
Fiona Devine explained how her son Alexander, the inspiration behind the winning charity, was born a healthy much-cherished little boy, but was diagnosed at four with a rare brain tumour and sadly passed away four years later. “Through our experiences as a family we realised there was no hospice care for children within our local community. So, in Alexander’s memory and recognising his outstanding courage and bravery, we founded this charity.
“Today, we have a community team of nurses and carers who alone this year have supported seven children to end of life. Currently, Berkshire has 600 children who are life-limited or life threatened. So I can’t stress enough how important it is to have a children’s hospice in this county.”
Last November, capital fund-raising began to raise £5m to build a Berkshire hospice. “We have raised £3m within the year, but we have another £2m to go, so if you can help in any way we would be eternally grateful,” added Fiona Devine.
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – DECEMBER14/JANUARY15
Taking second place in the award ceremony was Aspire Oxfordshire Community Enterprise for its work with people facing severe and multiple disadvantages such as homelessness, substance misuse and offending histories, enabling them to realise lasting rehabilitation and recovery goals.
Third place went to SpecialEffect for highlighting that people with physical disabilities have lives beyond simply ‘being disabled’ and enabling them to enjoy themselves through leisure technology, creativity and communication.
All the other finalists received Highly Commended acknowledgement and certificates.
BUSINESS MAGAZINE AWARDS 2014
THAMES VALLEY
SPONSORED BY Celebrating its 20th year
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