Ross Care and Medequip recognise a year of achievement at the 11th annual Big Thank You Day Awards, held on 27 January 2025 at the Chesford Grange Hotel in Kenilworth. 

The event brought together employees from across Ross Care, Medequip, Consolor, Medequip Connect and Manage at Home, in a shared celebration of the people who work tirelessly every day to provide essential services to communities across the UK.

Big Thank You Day is a longstanding annual tradition that recognises colleagues who go the extra mile in delivering outstanding service, teamwork, professionalism and commitment to the organisations’ values.

This year’s celebration was the largest yet, with more than 1,300 nominations submitted by employees across the group.

Championing the People Behind Essential Services

Ross Care and Medequip emphasised that the awards shine a light on both those with specific outstanding achievements in the past 12 months and also reinforce the importance of the un-sung heroes who consistently deliver vital frontline services with expertise and compassion.

Andy Phillips, Head of Business Development for Medequip, who founded the Big Thank You Day states:

“Big Thank You Day is an opportunity to pause and shine a spotlight on the extraordinary dedication of our colleagues. Every day, our teams provide essential services that make a real difference to people’s lives, often behind the scenes and under significant pressure. We believe it is incredibly important to celebrate and champion the people who make this possible.”

Recognition Led by Colleagues

One of the most valued aspects of the event is that nominations are made by peers. Colleagues across the business are encouraged to reflect on the past year and put forward team mates whose efforts deserve recognition.

As well as highlighting exceptional achievements, the nomination process provides an opportunity for employees to thank one another and celebrate contributions that may otherwise go unnoticed.

Throughout the day, awards were presented across a wide range of categories, including Unsung Hero, Best Newcomer, Customer Recognition, Partnership and Engagement, Technician of the Year, Clinician of the Year and Team of the Year, culminating in the Employee of the Year award.

As colleague nominations were read out it, it demonstrated the breadth of talent across the organisations and the shared pride in those delivering outstanding support to customers and service users every day.

Further Cause for Celebration

A unique moment during Big Thank You Day was the presentation of the Customer Recognition Award, which provides an opportunity for NHS commissioners and service partners to directly recognise colleagues who consistently deliver outstanding support to services and patients.

One NHS partner praised the exceptional standard of work provided by a nominated colleague, sharing:

“Colleagues across the hospital frequently share compliments around the work that Service Engineer Sebastian has completed, and we would like him to be recognised for the work that he provides to our services.”

- Karen Burgess, St George’s Hospital

“Wheelchair Therapist Lauren Osbourne delivers exceptional customer care, consistently bringing positivity, empathy, and solution-focused support to every user, even in challenging circumstances. She leads by example, going above and beyond, staying resilient under pressure, and collaborating closely with commissioners to strengthen and enhance the high standards she champions.”

- Duy Tran, Barnet Commissioning Manager

The day also provided opportunity to present Long Service Awards, with four Ross Care colleagues celebrating 15 year’s service and ten with 10 years’ service. Medequip also had many team members achieving these milestones, most notably Shaun Chadwick with an outstanding 25 year’s service.

Ross Care and Medequip would like to congratulate all winners and nominees, and thank every employee for their dedication, passion and continued hard work.

Ross Care Managing Director, James Parramore stated:

“Whether recognised through an award this year or not, through their daily commitment to their roles, every colleague plays a vital part in delivering safe, high-quality services. Big Thank You Day reminds us that our people are at the heart of everything we do, and we look forward to carrying this spirit of appreciation into the year ahead.”