Three Years Running: Hearts of Gold 2026

I am proud to share that I have been nominated for the Eyres Monsell Hearts of Gold Volunteer Awards for the third year in a row. After 2024 and 2025, I honestly did not expect to see my name go forward again, and I am grateful to everyone who put it there.

This year's awards evening takes place on Wednesday 23 September 2026 at the Eyres Monsell Club on Little John Road, from 6pm to 9pm. There will be a buffet from 6pm, the awards from 7.15pm, and live music from the High Pressure Band to finish the night.

Most of what I do happens quietly, away from any stage. I support people who live on artificial nutrition and tube feeding, and the families who care for them. Sometimes that means a message late at night from somebody newly home with a feeding line and unsure what is normal. Sometimes it means helping a person prepare for a clinic appointment, or simply being there so they know they are not facing it alone.

Alongside that support, I advocate for a better admissions pathway for patients on home parenteral nutrition. When someone who depends on artificial nutrition arrives at hospital, particularly in an emergency, their needs are specialised and time sensitive. I want every patient to be admitted with a clear plan that the whole ward can follow, whoever is on duty that day. I am working to make sure the voices of patients are heard at Leicester Royal Infirmary, so that our lived experience can help shape how that care is delivered.

That same aim is behind the YourTubie Passport, which I have built for people in my position. It gives patients their own organised record of their feeds, observations, stock and medical history, ready to take to hospital admissions and clinical appointments. It means nobody has to explain their whole story from the beginning every time they meet a new team.

None of this would be possible without the tubie community, my friends and family, and the clinicians who listen. Thank you for the nomination. I look forward to seeing many of you on the night.