Palace Theatre
Hundreds of colleagues and volunteers from West Herts Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust celebrated the achievements of staff at a glittering awards evening held in Watford.
The 2024 Stars of Herts Annual Awards recognised innovative individuals and teams from the Trust, who demonstrate excellence and compassion for their patients and colleagues.
Finalists were selected from nearly 500 nominations made by staff who were keen to recognise the brilliance of their colleagues.
The evening kicked off at the New Watford Market where attendees enjoyed an array of street food, followed by a showpiece main event at Watford Palace Theatre.
Nearly 600 people – including the Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire Robert Voss – attended an Oscars-style awards ceremony hosted by Trust Chief Executive Matthew Coats and Chairman Phil Townsend in tandem with Heart FM’s John Darin.
Chief Executive Matthew Coats said: “These awards are an opportunity to celebrate the compassion, ingenuity and dedication of our staff who work so hard to deliver the best care for our patients. We are fortunate that we can reward our staff with a special evening in two unique Watford locations thanks to our sponsors.”
The awards celebrated the achievements of staff across 14 categories which recognised care, compassion, and innovation among other qualities.
Barbara Funnell, who has provided 25 years’ service as a volunteer to teams across the Trust, received the largest applause as she was recognised for her contribution to volunteering; while Riley one of the Trust’s therapy dogs was without doubt one of the most popular guests in the theatre.
The event would not have been possible without the support of West Herts Hospitals Charity and the generosity of sponsors, including: Atos, Watford Football Club, Crown Security Solutions, GSCI Consultants, Hempsons, Hygiene Contracts Ltd, and Hygienic Finishes (South) Ltd.