Picture gallery: Northamptonshire Carers Awards

The Jane Roebuck Carers Awards were held at Barton Hall, Kettering, on Wednesday, January 27.

The awards, now in their sixth year, brought together carers from across Northamptonshire.

Among the people who attended the ceremony were Kettering mayor June Derbyshire, Wellingborough mayor Barry Graves and a number of healthcare professionals including Dr Darin Seiger, chairman of NHS Nene Clinical Commissioning Group.

The event, which was also supported by the Northampton Saints rugby team, not only recognised the commitment, hard work and selflessness of Northamptonshire carers, but also provided an opportunity for the county’s carers to enjoy an occasion which was dedicated solely to them.

The three categories were Young Carer of the Year, Carer of the Year and a new Shining Star Award, which was awarded to a special person who goes that extra mile to support carers in sectors such as education, health and social care.

The winners were:

Young Carer of the Year – Eben Harpin, from Ringstead

Carer of the Year – Michael Howarth, from Northampton

Shining Star Award – Rebecca Whiting, from Northampton

Director of Northamptonshire Carers Mark Major said: “Every year, thousands of carers across Northamptonshire make a vital contribution to health and social care, providing support to family members or friends with health problems or disabilities.

“The work that they do is invaluable for our community, and too often goes unrecognised as they support their loved ones with dedication on a daily basis.

“The Jane Roebuck Carers Awards has put these dedicated unsung heroes firmly in the spotlight as we honoured the wonderful work that they do for others.

“We received a record number of nominations this year which shows that the event is going from strength to strength.

“Special thanks go to Barclaycard for sponsoring the Young Carers award and Zinc Digital for supporting the Shining Star award.

“While we can only give awards to three winners, this event is all about paying tribute to all our carers who make such a positive difference to people’s lives.

As many as one in 10 people are carers and in Northamptonshire alone there are more than 70,000 known carers.

Not only do carers make a significant difference to the lives of the people they care for, they also save health and social services an estimated £120bn a year nationally – an average of £18,473 per carer.