Adopt A Grandparent’s Founder Scoops Prized ‘Making A Difference’ Accolade At Prestigious Care Awards
Adopt a Grandparent’s founder has been presented with the highly regarded ‘Making a Difference’ accolade at one of the UK’s leading care sector awards.
Shaleeza Hasham took home the prestigious award at the Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards on Friday, 15th March, having been recognised by judges as creating an initiative that is “leading the way“ and “making a difference across services on a vast scale”.
Announcing Shaleeza as the winner at a glitzy ceremony at The Grand Hotel Birmingham, the judges said: “With a mission to change the perception of social care, this year’s winner has devoted much of their life to learning and gaining from our elderly community and is passionate about alleviating isolation and loneliness amongst the elderly population.
“Working tirelessly to shine a light on the positive aspects of the sector and promoting intergenerational connections, Shaleeza has developed an amazing network of volunteers from all around the world to join together to share wisdom, experience and perspectives.”
Adopt a Grandparent works to pair older, socially isolated residents with volunteers worldwide to combat loneliness and encourage intergenerational relationships. Established as a socially driven organisation in 2020, the charity now works with care settings and older persons residing across the UK.
Upon receiving the award, Shaleeza said: “I’m honestly humbled to have taken home the Making a Difference Award. It means so much to me and everyone associated with the charity. We’ve come a long way since launching four years ago and have so much more planned for the future as we continue to push for a social care system where loneliness is replaced by meaningful, intergenerational friendships.”
The Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards focus on creative arts, community engagement, innovation, quality improvements, integration, technology and governance. It was set up to celebrate the work of small, not-for-profit providers who didn’t have a lot of resources to dedicate to showcasing the positive influence they were having on people’s lives.
Those who wish to sign up to Adopt a Grandparent as a volunteer can do so by visiting the website or downloading the free app, which is available through Apple’s App Store and Google Play.
