A Leicester care home is celebrating after its dedicated volunteer received a prestigious accolade at the Great British Care Awards.

93-year-old Tony Bradley, whose wife Renelle has been a resident at Beaumont Hall for almost two years, was recently shortlisted in the unpaid carer category at the East Midlands Great British Care Awards, after being nominated by staff from the home.

Tony, a former lecturer at Charles Keene College, Leicester, has served his community for almost 50 years, supporting his neighbours when in need and volunteering with local organisations including the LOROS Hospice and The Air Ambulance Service.

Since his wife moved into Beaumont Hall, Tony has been keen to find a way to support the home and has become a very valued volunteer, by running the Friday coffee morning. The home has also supported him to complete his moving and handling training so that he can safely assist his wife when moving around.

Tony said: “I visit Renelle every day and spend a lot of time at Beaumont Hall so I really wanted to do something to give back and I knew there must be a way I could help the team. It started with making tea and coffee for the residents and now I’m running the weekly coffee morning. I’ve also been able to do training to move Renelle around safely which is brilliant. Not only am I able to support the staff and other residents, I’m also able to play an active part in caring for my wife, which is so important to me. It’s great to be part of the wider team and I’m over the moon to have won an award for my work.”

Kerri Simpson, Registered Manager at Beaumont Hall, said: “Tony is a true gent and we feel extremely lucky to have such a wonderful volunteer helping us out. Nothing is too much trouble for Tony, from serving refreshments at our coffee morning to just having a good old chat with the residents. He really is part of the team – so much so that we’ve even given him his own Ideal Carehomes name badge, which he’s so proud of.

“When the Great British Care Awards nominations opened, we knew straight away that Tony should be entered, not only to recognise his commitment to Beaumont Hall, but in respect of all the other support he’s provided our local community with over the years. He is such a deserving winner and it was an honour to celebrate with him at the event.”

The Great British Care Awards celebrate excellence across the care sector, paying tribute to those individuals who have demonstrated outstanding excellence within their field of work. 25 Ideal Carehomes staff are regional finalists this year, including Beaumont Hall care assistant Sarah Clarke.

Beaumont Hall, which is rated ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), is operated by Ideal Carehomes and offers 24-hour residential and dementia care with an inclusive fee offer.