Toby Porter, who has been CEO at Acorns since 2016, won Third Sector Director of the Year at the awards earlier this week in a virtual ceremony that aimed to celebrate and showcase business leaders and their achievements across the region.

Reflecting on the win, Toby dedicated the award to all the staff and volunteers at Acorns. He said: “I am very honoured to receive this award but this is truly an award for the entire Acorns Children’s Hospice team who have worked with such bravery and commitment at a time when this pandemic has created such a massive need for those that rely on our care.

“Our staff have been quite incredible during this pandemic and all our teams, including our nursing staff, Family Team Workers and volunteers have adapted our children’s hospice care in conditions of real complexity and peril and are still showing the same love and care that they always have done.”

In late-March Acorns became one of the first children’s hospices in the country to launch its emergency plan in response to the pandemic.

The plan enabled Acorns to continue providing emergency and end of life hospice care to any family who needed it, along with continuing emotional and practical support to the hundreds of families who were shielding at home to protect vulnerable children from infection.

Toby added: “Despite all the challenges we’re very proud to still be here for all those families that need us, feeling very optimistic with the news of a potential vaccine on the horizon and truly grateful for all the support we’ve had from our local community who continue to be there for us – including tonight, thank you.”