Two Newcastle-under-Lyme residents have been recognised at an awards ceremony hosted by leading dementia specialists, Belong.

Belong, who operate care home villages in locations including Newcastle-under-Lyme, Chester, Crewe and Warrington, hosted the annual Champion Awards to celebrate the best amongst its teams.

Two winners were crowned from the Newcastle-under-Lyme team.  

Village experience coordinator and heritage coordinator for the Belong Heritage Gallery, Emma Palin, took home the Better Tomorrow – Innovation Award.

The award recognised her "tireless efforts" in developing an array of partnerships and impressive projects for the benefit of the Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme customers and the wider local community.  

In the past year she has introduced virtual reality (VR) experiences for residents, helping them fulfil their wanderlust wishlists.

The technology allowed residents to take trips of a lifetime, from breathtaking Scottish Highlands to stunning Cornish coastline, bustling German markets and far-flung Thai temples.  

The start of 2026 saw the launch of the refurbishment of the not-for-profit village's sensory garden with support of Newcastle College and town mayor, Robert Bettley-Smith's charitable fund, with the latter personally describing Emma as 'absolutely, totally amazing...so enthusiastic and passionate'.  

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Meanwhile, Eileen Allman, independent living apartment tenant, scooped the Volunteer Award for her work assisting Emma and her team in its activities, excursions, and supporting new tenants moving in.

A keen gardener, she was also instrumental in achieving Newcastle in Bloom 2024's Community Garden for the village's garden, open to the public.  

After receiving nominations from the organisation's customers, relatives and colleagues, a panel of independent judges determined winners from a final shortlist, with the results revealed at an evening gala at Manchester Hall.

All were presented with a handmade ceramic trophy, designed by Belong customer, Brian Cherrington, as part of a creative competition for the occasion.  

Speaking of the event, Belong's chief executive, Martin Rix, said: "Once again, our Belong Champion Awards have shone a spotlight on the incredible work happening day in, day out, across our villages and home care teams.

"It's especially important to us to have our customers at the heart of everything we do, and they've embraced the opportunity to thank our dedicated colleagues.  

"It really is people who ultimately create culture and make our organisation such a great place to live and work. Congratulations to all our finalists and winners." 

The Belong Champion Awards 2025 was made possible thanks to sponsors: Allmanhall, boxxe, Browne Jacobson, carehome.co.uk, GHM Care, Lorne Stewart Facilities, Manchester Evening News, SB Waste, Search, Triangle PR. 

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For more information about Belong, visit the website here, or to make an enquiry, email [email protected]

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