26th Anniversary Healthcare Bursary Launched
Health & Social Care (HSC) staff have the opportunity to benefit from a £3000 prize fund to support worthy projects that enhance health & social care provision in the Bailiwick.
Launched on 4th September 2017, the Insurance Corporation Healthcare Bursary is in its 26th year and has been hugely influential in the progress of local health & social care via the funding of innovative ideas from HSC staff members.
‘In the early days we realised healthcare employees with innovative ideas had no obvious method of obtaining funding or support to make their concept a reality,’ says Insurance Corporation Managing Director Mandy Hunt.
‘As a local business, we felt it was important to help out and offer a solution. That was 26 years ago and we’ve been running the competition ever since and there have been some incredible entries from some very hardworking and talented people for us to consider. Understandably, we are very proud to have made this contribution to local life for so long, and long may it continue.”
The Healthcare Bursary was started in 1991 by Insurance Corporation founder Peter Walpole. Sandra James MBE, who went on to be an HSSD board member, took the top prize for her project regarding alcohol abuse in the islands. Over the following years, there have been a variety of inspiring entries relating to bereavement, information provision, mental health, cancer care and several social care projects that have received the bursary.
Last year the £2000 top prize went to Michelle Green & Francesca McLuskey of the Physiotherapy Department, who proposed that an area by Le Marchant Ward was redesigned to improve access for wheelchair users and promote the recovery and function of the hand and arm affected by a stroke. The project was successfully launched at its grand opening on 26th July 2017.
The runner up prize was awarded to Youth Justice Officer Steve Carr whose proposal to use virtual reality headsets as visual aids to increase road traffic awareness among children won him funding of £1000.
Entry forms for this year’s competition can be downloaded HERE or are available from the Health & Social Care human resources team and must be returned by 7th October 2017. A selection panel will meet on 31st October 2017 to hear more about the projects from the shortlisted candidates, followed by a presentation day on 15th November 2017.