Yvonne Wright, a volunteer trustee at Home-Start Aberdeen, has won the Outstanding Trustee Award in the charity’s national awards.

Gette Cobban, manager at Home-Start Aberdeen, said, “She is one of those quiet people who just inspires others by her enthusiasm and belief in Home-Start, despite working very, very long hours as a lead nurse - critical care.  She joined our trustees in 2005. 

Despite taking more and more senior roles within NHS Grampian, she continued to support Home-Start and almost never missed a board meeting or any opportunity to promote Home-Start.

See how Yvonne believed she was making a film to promote the charity when infact she was being told about winning the award, and hear from her colleagues and trustees talking about her amazing support for them:

Manager Getter continues, "Yvonne was the board member who really pushed us towards social enterprise and worked tirelessly to help us through a number of feasibility studies before we finally set up our social enterprise charity shop in November 2012. Yvonne became chair in 2010 and I can honestly say that without her we would not have opened it.

“She held the role of chair until the end of 2014 and is still very actively involved as vice chair and also chair of our social enterprise sub-committee. Whatever else is happening in her life she always puts Home-Start to the fore. She has also made every effort to attend Home-Start UK meetings and events - usually taking time from her holiday entitlement.

“Yvonne has never forgotten that nursing is about people. This also shines through when she talks about Home-Start and the impact it has on family life. She is well known and respected in local NHS and community circles and her longstanding association has brought Home-Start Aberdeen a great deal of credibility with the wider social work and health sectors.”

After receiving the award, Yvonne said,

“From my days as a health visitor I know how important Home-Start is and how grateful I was for the charity’s help with the families I was working with. I have seen first-hand that Home-Start’s unique blend of home-based emotional and practical support works. This, above all, has underpinned my commitment to the charity over the years. There continues to be a genuine need for our service – and I believe that the support can truly make a difference to local families’ lives.”

Before the awards ceremony, Yvonne and the winners of the other Home-Start national volunteer award categories were treated to a pamper afternoon, courtesy of The White Rose School of Health and Beauty, and afternoon tea with Kirstie Allsopp.