Organisations that work to promote and protect dignity in Derby have been recognised at a special event. The Derby Annual Dignity Tea was held by Derby Safeguarding Adults Board to mark Dignity Action Day, which occurs every 1 February.
Dignity Action Day aims to raise awareness about dignity in care, and to ensure people who use care services are treated as individuals who are given choice, control and a sense of purpose in their daily lives.
Derby Safeguarding Adults Board and partner agencies strive to put dignity at the heart of all they do. The Dignity Tea event saw awards presented to organisations that have proved that they do the same.
Winners received their certificates from Allan Breeton, Independent Chair of Derby Safeguarding Adults Board, and the Mayor of Derby, Councillor Robin Wood.
Four fantastic projects were given the Community Respect Award. This recognises community and voluntary sector organisations that can demonstrate their ongoing commitment to promoting and delivering dignified services.
The recipients of the Community Respect Award were:
- Project Derby, a community-led group based in Rosehill which runs daily activities for residents such as guitar classes, Tai Chi and other social groups. Within Project Derby also falls Pot to Plate – a community allotment growing fresh produce to supply the community pantry which is open to all community members, alongside a food bank;
- Safe and Sound, a charity which tackles exploitation by providing tailored one-to-one support to victims and young people at risk in Derby and Derbyshire. The charity raises awareness, provides support and works on engaging young people through outreach and intervention;
- St Philip’s Church in Chaddesden, a parish church that has developed a café and community hub which is open to all. It provides affordable food and drink alongside a safe space for people to meet, as well as providing a base for weekly and monthly groups;
- The Better Together Café, a social enterprise run by Derby Adult Learning Service, which also hosted the event. The café, which is situated at the Council House and open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays, offers catering training courses and employability support to adults with learning disabilities.
Representatives from Project Derby receive a Community Respect Award from Allan Breeton and Councillor Robin Wood
Anne Sherwood , church warden at St Philip’s, and volunteer Deborah Manzoori collected the award on behalf of the church. Anne said:
Everybody is welcome at our community hub. The work we do is a real team effort so the Respect Award is for everyone involved and they are all chuffed to receive it. The Dignity Tea is a lovely idea and helps raise awareness of what we do.
Other certificates presented at the event included Recognition Awards for volunteer Matthew Fowler, who also read a poem he had written, and Derbyshire Community Health Services’ Continence Service.
The Continence Service also received a Dignity Award, alongside the Acute Inpatient Service, which runs an acute mental health unit in Derby.
Councillor Roy Webb, Derby City Council Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Housing, said:
It’s so important that we recognise the hard work and commitment of the people who put dignity at the heart of all they do, whether as professionals or volunteers in the community.
Derby Safeguarding Adult Board and partner agencies would like to invite everyone in Derby to think about dignity and treating each other with respect in all areas of our lives, not only in care. Small changes can make big differences. Find out more about Dignity Action Day on the DSAB website.
One way to get involved is to become a Dignity Champion. A Dignity Champion believes passionately that being treated with dignity is a basic human right, not an optional extra. There are already over 1,000 of them in Derby and Derbyshire. Many of them are making changes, usually simple, which improve the services people have. To register yourself as a dignity champion, visit the Dignity in Care website.