And the winner of the Individual Fab Change Champion Award 2018 is Leeanne Lockley!”
These words resound in my head every day; never in my wildest dreams would I envisage winning a ‘Fab Award’ presented by NHS England CEO Simon Stevens!
What does this mean?
These awards are hosted by the Academy of Fab Stuff. A social movement platform that allows all everyone who has made a change and improvement in their place of work to share their fabulous stuff
This is the message you receive on the home page and pretty much sums up its aim and objectives:
As the website has grown, the academy found they needed help. That’s where I come in; I’m a fab ambassador
We are volunteers with a highly diverse skillset whether that be a clinician, a NHS manager, a university academic, or anything in between.
Tomorrow belongs to those who hear it coming. Fab Ambassadors see tomorrow coming.
We lead for the future.
We are trailblazers.
We brim with enthusiasm, positivity, knowledge and hope.
We see everything, we share everything. We are beacons of best practice.
If you have a problem, we have ideas and proven solutions.
We can connect you with others locally.
We can connect you with others nationally.
We can work with you as individuals, with your teams, with your wards and departments, with your entire NHS Trusts to share best practice and innovation.
We are here for you every day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
We love our NHS.
We are Fab Ambassadors.
Every year the Academy of Fab Stuff has a change and improvement campaign where people in health and social care share their good practices and learning with others; our motto is ‘Don’t reinvent the wheel’. This year to tie in with NHS70 celebrations, we had FabCHange70. This was 70 hours of sharing the good stuff that people are proud of changing and improving.
Following on from this, we have the annual Fab Awards. This is an award ceremony like no other. Firstly it’s free, no need to pay for a table. The champagne reception and food and wine on the table are free. This wouldn’t happen if not for our fabulous sponsors. Secondly, the aim of the awards is fun and celebration of the good stuff that’s happened in health and social care. And thirdly, all awards are voted by the public.
Attending these awards give inspiration, motivation and enthusiasm for change and improvement. Senior healthcare leaders are in attendance and to have conversations with these people is something that money can’t buy.
The award I was given is for the work I am doing at a regional level; via KQuIP (Kidney Quality Improvement Partnerships) and NWFABCAN (North West Fabulous Change Agent Network). I believe people can’t change on their own and I understand the importance of connections and communities. That’s what I’m trying to build in the North West of England.
Remember, free champagne and wine? Well I utilised this. When the individual fab change award was announced, all I could think “I’m a little drunk” knowing Simon Stevens was presenting the award. I could not have wished for a more dignified, gentleman to present this to me. He could see I was overwhelmed but he pushed me to make a speech; which I’m so proud I did.
The evening was amazing with congratulations being received from people I have never met; people I knew only on social media; people who are truly good friends. What a celebration it was; it lasted in to the late evening with more dancing, singing (and drinking).
It’s been 4 weeks since the fab awards. Nothing has changed. I do what I do; encourage people to make the changes they want to see; motivate and inspire people to share their changes with the Academy of Fab Stuff. What this award has given, is the opportunity of meeting senior change and improvement leaders inspiring and motivating to be better.
I was told 20 years ago not to go into nursing that it was the wrong profession for me. Well I say, follow your dreams cause anything can happen.