Rainbows Trustee recognised at national women’s awards

A Trustee from Rainbows Children’s Hospice for Children and Young People has been shortlisted for a prestigious national women’s award for service to the community.

Diane Postle, Deputy Director of Nursing and Quality at Kettering General Hospital, said she was “surprised, honoured and humbled” to be named a finalist under the Community Award category at the English Women’s Awards to be held later this month.

Diane has been involved with Rainbows for many years on a voluntary basis, first becoming a Trustee at the hospice in 2010, despite holding demanding senior nursing roles.

She became Rainbows Chair of Trustees in 2015 for three years, recently stepping down due to the increasing demands of her career, but remains a passionate Trustee at the hospice, serving on the Clinical Quality Assurance Committee.

Under her tenure as Chair of Trustees, Rainbows Hospice achieved and maintained the highest standards of specialist care, with an ‘outstanding’ rating from the Care Quality Commission. And the charity is supporting more youngsters and their families across the East Midlands than ever before.

Diane has held various senior nursing posts within the NHS, working within acute care, community and general practice. She is a qualified general nurse, midwife and health visitor.

But she says working at the Loughborough-based charity, which supports youngsters with life-limiting conditions and their families across the region has been something very special.

“My time at Rainbows has been brilliant and I am still proud to be a part of this amazing organisation which puts youngsters and their families at the very centre of care”, she commented. “To be shortlisted for this award was a complete surprise and is an absolute honour.”

Diane, who lives near Market Harborough in south Leicestershire, is married with two grown up children and recently became a grandmother.

The English Women’s Awards 2018 aim to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of women entrepreneurs, businesswomen, professionals, civil servants, charity workers and others nationwide. 

Dee sissons, Rainbows Chief Executive Officer, said: “Diane is a dedicated, passionate health care professional who has made an incredible contribution to Rainbows. In addressing the charity’s ambitions to grow and extend its services across the East Midlands in recent years she has played an integral part in keeping our youngsters and their families at the heart of everything we do. We are thrilled that her hard work and dedication is being recognised at these national awards.”

The awards are organised by events and marketing agency Creative Oceanic. Following the success of the Scottish Women’s awards and the English Women’s Awards North the agency launched the English Women’s Awards to recognise the achievements of women across England.
There are 31 categories at the awards including Business Woman of the Year, Services to Charity/Third Sector, CEO of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Rising Star of the Year and Woman of the Year.

The evening also provides the opportunity of helping to raise funds for Creative Oceanic’s official charity partner Smart Works, an organisation which empowers women in need by providing them with the attire, advice, training and confidence that they need to unlock their potential and success in the workplace.

The event takes place at a glittering ceremony on Tuesday, 26 June at Leicester’s Athena.

For more information on the English Women’s Awards visit: www.creativeoceanic.com