There are so many deserving fundraisers within the Huntington's community who have gone above and beyond to raise valuable funds and awareness to support those affected by Huntington's.


The Huntington’s Disease Association Awards is our annual event to recognise and celebrate the fantastic achievements of those who support our work and those who support anyone affected by Huntington's disease over the past year. This year's nominees have been chosen because of their outstanding commitment to fundraising. 

We would like to thank our event sponsor FI Real Estate Management. You can read more about them at the bottom of the page.

Fundraiser of the year

Charlotte Conn - Crossfit challenge

During May 2023 Charlotte completed a mountain of a challenge at her local CrossFit club. During the event, which took place on Charlotte’s birthday, Charlotte and her supporters climbed the equivalent of Everest on 20-inch box steps. Charlotte and CrossFit Teesside ensured the challenge was accessible to all, with multiple steps put in place for those who needed it. Charlotte’s mum, who has Huntington’s, climbed the last five steps with the help of Charlotte.
We were in teams and the first team to reach their allocated steps won. The challenge was originally supposed to be climbing Kilimanjaro in honour of my own challenge a few months before but there was such a huge uptake in the event, the owner changed it to Everest. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house, it was incredible!
Awards 2024 (15)

Young fundraiser of the year

Oliver - Great North Run

Oliver aged 11 joined the masses to take part in one of the most famous races in the world last year. After months of training, Oliver completed the Junior Great North Run in September 2023. He was determined to train and complete the course in memory of his Dad whilst fundraising for the Huntington’s Disease Association. Oliver’s mum said;
When Oliver lost his Dad, Laurence, aged only 49, to Huntington’s disease, he lost his best friend and biggest supporter. It hit him hard and he’s still struggling one year on. Ollie, your dad would have been so proud of you.
Awards 2024 (10)

Fundraising group of the year

Otterburn Care Home - Zip wire challenge

In May 2023 Otterburn Care Home approached Zip World in Wales to help them organise a challenge for a person they care for. Patrick, a resident at the Exemplar care home and self-confessed adrenaline junkie, wanted to take part in a zip wire challenge. The staff at Otterburn went above and beyond to overcome an array of obstacles to ensure the day could go ahead. The home manager, Naomi said:
Patrick was so excited on the lead up to our big adventure to Wales. To help with the planning of this full day, we were showing him videos and website information about the day to fully prepare him for the trip. Our company ethos is to make ‘Every day better’ for our residents and also for our staff so this was an amazing opportunity to showcase what we can achieve for people within our care setting. We wanted to complete a challenge for ourselves that pushed boundaries, fears and obstacles which people with Huntington’s disease and their families face on a day-to-day basis. This challenge proved to us that anything can be achieved with the right team, support, and desire to make it happen. Once the experience was completed, the sense of achievement was overwhelming. We achieved this by not only completing the activity but also knowing we have raised funds and awareness for the Huntington’s Disease Association. It was something special none of us will forget and Patrick still talks about to this day. Anything is achievable if you allow it to be!
Otterburn | Fundraiser

Excellence in health or social care award

 
This category acknowledges people working within a professional health or social care setting who make a difference to the lives of people who have Huntington's disease. 
 

Abbie Corns

Abbie Corns is a newly qualified Social Worker in Torbay, who has been working alongside an individual with Huntington’s. She has been working alongside this person and their family for over a year to plan and coordinate care that supports promoting their independence while balancing out the need to help keep them safe and enhance their life. This has included well-planned visits to the individual to build a rapport, assess their needs, gather information from family and work alongside our own Huntington’s disease Specialist Adviser Justine Barkas and other health professionals, to make best-interest decisions about their care.

Before working with this family, I knew nothing about Huntington’s, and this journey with them has provided me with so much learning and experience that has enabled me to adapt my approach to engaging with the service user and planning their care and hoped outcomes. Justine Barkas [Specialist Adviser] has provided extensive information to help build my knowledge about the disease, which has been fundamental to incorporate into my practice to help ‘getting it right’ for the service user. This means the service users overall safety, wellbeing and quality of life had improved as a result of the positive joint working all round and is hoped to have helped the family to feel heard, and supported in their caring roles. I have truly valued all the support from the service users family and professionals involved, and feel passionate about passing my learning into colleagues, in hope that those who work with people with this disease can take something forward.

Abbie Corns - Health and Social Care -


2024 awards sponsor

Thank you so much to FI Real Estate Management for being this year's event sponsor.

Tim Knowles, managing director, FI Real Estate Management said:

"FI are delighted to be sponsoring the Awards this year, and to show our support for the incredible services provided by the charity to people living with Huntington’s disease and helping them live a better life."

FIREM-Logo-NoContactDetails (1)

About FI Real Estate Management

As one of the UK’s most established names in commercial asset and property management, FI Real Estate Management operates an extensive and diverse portfolio which covers over 15m sq ft, including 6.5m sq ft of new build developments, across the nation, with assets totalling in excess £1.2bn.

Photographs from the awards