Elaine is named valiant volunteer

Telford College tutor Elaine Colley has been presented with a ‘valiant volunteer’ trophy after returning to the NHS front line to help the fight against Covid-19.

Elaine went back to nursing for the first time in 13 years at the start of the outbreak, working in the respiratory ward at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.

Her selfless efforts earned her the ‘valiant volunteer’ award at Shropshire Chamber of Commerce’s 2020 Chamber Champion Awards, which were live streamed last month. Chamber chief executive Richard Sheehan, and category sponsor Nick Jones, visited the campus to present Elaine with her trophy, watched by many of her colleagues.

Elaine, a health and social care tutor who also volunteers for The Silver Line charity, said: “I never thought that doing a return to nursing practice course would have led me to receiving this award. Although brutal at times, nursing on the respiratory ward was an experience that I feel privileged to have been part of.”

Richard Sheehan said: “We have learned through this event just how diverse the support for the Shropshire community has been, and we know that the fantastic stories we have heard here are just the tip of the iceberg.”

You can watch Elaine’s victory in the Chamber Champion Awards here: https://chamberchampion.co.uk/chamber-champions-live/

Pictured: Elaine Colley receives her Chamber Champion award from Richard Sheehan (left) and Nick Jones, watched by Telford College staff and colleagues