A STALBRIDGE carer and mental health champion has been honoured at a prestigious awards ceremony.

Joy Ford was honoured at the BBC’s Make a Difference Awards, which recognise outstanding contributions to communities.

Chosen from hundreds of entries, Joy scooped the Carer Award during a star-studded BBC Radio Solent ceremony, held at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton.

The Carer Award singles out someone who ‘improves the life of an individual or group of people by caring for them on a regular basis’.

Joy cared for her teenage son during his mental illness, before he took his own life. She then looked after her husband, who died earlier this year.

Using these experiences, she has been working with Dorset HealthCare to ensure carers are seen as an important part of a patient’s recovery and treatment.

Joy with Fred Dineage

She has also assisted with the creation and delivery of carer awareness training to staff across local mental health services.

In addition, with the support of Dorset Mental Health Forum, Joy has run a helpline for carers, and is especially passionate about supporting people who lose a loved one to suicide.

She was nominated for the award by fellow carer Trish Mclennan and Dorset HealthCare’s carers development lead, Pat Wilkins.

Joy Ford, Alun Newman and Francis Benali at the awards ceremony

Pat said: “Joy’s award is so well deserved. We are very fortunate to have these amazing ‘experts by experience’ who have made such a difference to the lives of both carers and patients.”

The Make a Difference Awards scheme was a launched nationally by the BBC during the first pandemic lockdown, to recognise people and groups going ‘above and beyond’ to make a difference where they live.

Joy was chosen from entries spanning the Radio Solent broadcast area of Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight, and was presented with her award by former Southampton FC star, Francis Benali.