Last night in the glitzy, online Made in Bury Business Awards ceremony, Bury Hospice won the new Triumph Over Adversity Award and took second place, with a Highly Commended Award in the Community Impact Category. 

The Made in Bury Business Awards are all about championing local businesses and celebrating their outstanding achievements  - this year marked the 8^th ceremony.  The awards are an acknowledgement of the successes of Bury’s diverse business community and feature 21 business categories covering all sectors.

Rachel Wallace, Head of Marketing, Communications and Fundraising at Bury Hospice, said: “We were absolutely bowled over to win the Triumph over Adversity award, and so grateful to our community for supporting us, especially over the past few months, to continue delivering the care and support to patients and their families across Bury. When the pandemic first broke out and we had to shut our shops and cancel fundraising events, we launched a #HereForYou campaign. We reached out to our community in different ways, making the most of technology to continue connecting with people who needed us. We adapted and worked differently – and even extended our reach across Bury. All this was possible because of our community – the support we have experienced from businesses, schools and community groups has been overwhelming. We received IPad donations to enable our patients to continue talking to their families when visiting became restricted. We received PPE gear when stocks were getting low and our community fundraised for us in the most incredible and creative ways ranging from group headshaves to zoom musicals and sponsored sporting activities. What particularly struck us was the amount of young people who stepped forward to support their hospice, and this still continues.”

Rachel continues: “We are also so grateful to Bury Council for selecting us and to Made in Bury and Best of Bury for bringing these awards to us, for their tireless work in arranging them. There are so many organisations who also would have warranted the Triumph over Adversity award, and to receive it is incredibly special, and poignant too. The award ceremony took place on the day of Michelle King’s funeral – our lovely fundraiser who died a couple of weeks ago. Michelle would have been so proud on behalf of the hospice and it is fitting that we have dedicated our Triumph over Adversity award to Michelle.”

“We cannot thank our community enough – we wouldn’t be able to do what we do without you. Thank you.”

The Leader, Eamonn O’Brien, talks about why Bury Council selected Bury Hospice to win the Triumph over Adversity awards: “One for me stood out in particular. Bury Hospice, one of the institutions of our borough. They provide the care and support for families in incredibly difficult circumstances and that was only made more difficult because of the coronavirus, and yet despite that challenge they managed to keep in touch with those that they care for and keep supporting the families. They not only did that, but they reached far more people than they did before by making use of new technologies….to ensure that the really essential work that they do can keep going, and despite the fact that their fundraising has taken so much of a hit, they have been absolutely committed to continuing that work which so many people in our borough rely on.

“What also struck me incredibly hard, was just how many of our businesses do support Bury Hospice in some of their charitable and outreach work.

“So I think Bury Hospice is one of those institutions that brings us together as a community, that bring the businesses, that brings the council, that brings ordinary citizens together, to support them. That is why, for me, they just had that edge this year in showing how they had triumphed over adversity.”

Fellow nominees in the Community Impact shortlist were Eagle and Child in Ramsbottom and The Joshua Wilson Brain Tumour Charity. Eagle and Child took first place.

Rachel said: “To have received the accolade of Highly Commended in Community Impact Award is humbling –a high-profile panel featuring some of the borough’s leading business professionals judged the entries, and we are delighted to have been come second in a category where there was stiff competition.”

Debi Fellone, Managing Partner at Made in Bury, said “The MIBBA’s not only recognise the fabulous established organisations in our town but also uncover Bury’s hidden gem’s and this year in particular has given a platform to some of our Town’s most incredible, resilient and creative businesses and organisations to showcase how they have had to adapt and diversify in these challenging times. This year’s awards not only celebrated the usual categories but introduced a new award, the Triumph Over Adversity Award, sponsored by Bury Council. Being online this year had the added advantage that even more businesses experienced the Made in Bury Business Awards and saw first-hand what an incredible business community Bury has.”

Pictured - Michelle King with Rachel Wallace, Head of Marketing, Communications and Fundraising