Celebrating Gabby Fee: One of our Student Nursing Associate’s at Lea Court, for receiving the first-ever Chief Nursing Officer’s Student Excellence Award.
At Alternative Futures Group, we’re proud to celebrate Gabby Fee, a Student Nursing Associate at our independent hospital, Lea Court, who has received national recognition for her outstanding contribution to care.
Gabby has been awarded the first ever Student Excellence Award by England’s Chief Nursing Officer, Duncan Burton. This is the first time this award has ever been presented to a student, making the achievement even more special.
Gabby works as part of our team at Lea Court, where she supports people with mental health needs. Alongside her role, she has been developing her skills through her nursing associate training, combining hands-on experience with learning and development.
From the very beginning, Gabby has shown what great care looks like in practice. She brings compassion, creativity and a strong sense of purpose to everything she does, always focusing on how she can improve experiences and outcomes for the people we support.
One of Gabby’s standout achievements has been leading the development of a Recovery Café at Lea Court. This initiative creates a welcoming, supportive space not only for people currently using services, but also for those who have moved on and members of the wider community. It reflects Gabby’s belief in connection, recovery and the importance of feeling part of something.
Her impact is felt every day. The people we support regularly share how much her kindness, understanding and communication mean to them, and how she helps them feel heard, valued and supported on their journey.
“I am deeply honoured and proud to have been presented this award. This recognition reflects not only my individual efforts in my studies and practice, but the support, guidance, and encouragement of the university team and my workplace who have helped me grow throughout my time as a student nursing associate. I extend my gratitude to the university team for their invaluable support and mentorship, which have greatly contributed to my progress. My team at Lea Court have been the driving force in providing me with an opportunity to become the healthcare professional that I am today. I truly would not be able to do this without them!” – Gabriella Fee
Gabby’s work has also been recognised nationally. When presenting the award, Duncan Burton highlighted her as someone already making a meaningful difference, describing her as compassionate, innovative and principled.
At Alternative Futures Group, we know that great care is built on strong teams and supportive leadership. Gabby’s journey has been shaped by the encouragement and guidance of colleagues around her, helping her to grow in confidence and develop her skills.
“I Just want to say I am particularly proud of gabby, She is an absolute credit not only to Salford university with her studies but to Alternative Futures Group and Lea Court in particular, she has embraced everything that has been thrown at her from very quick learning from Learning Disabilities to Mental Health and taking on a number of additional self directed learning subjects but constantly and consistently keeping patient care at the forefront of her mind. Well done Gabby.” – Linda Hull, Registered Manager at Lea Court
Gabby’s achievement is a reflection of her dedication, but also of the values we share across Alternative Futures Group, putting people first, working together, and always looking for ways to do things better.
We’re incredibly proud of Gabby and everything she has achieved so far. We can’t wait to see what she does next.