Devon NHS worker wins Christmas Community Award

Cult cleaning product maker SPh2ONGE  is delighted to crown the first-ever winner of its Community Award: Summer Taylor, a young NHS healthcare assistant from Plymouth. 

The SPh2ONGE Community Award was launched in Autumn 2019 to highlight remarkable individuals who demonstrate selflessness, generosity and kindness in their lives and make others’ lives better. 

Summer, 20, works as an NHS Health Care Assistant at the Plymouth’s Derriford Hospital where she will be working this Christmas Day. She was nominated for the SPh2ONGE Community Award by her partner, Chelsea, for working tirelessly for her elderly patients as well as her own family. 

“Summer truly is a wonder woman,” said Chelsea. “Many of her patients are elderly and don’t have family nearby - the kinds of patients who don’t get many visitors and are often incredibly lonely in hospital. Summer always goes above and beyond for them: she’ll bring their washing home which she’ll do, iron and take back into the hospital for them the next day. If it’s their birthday, she’ll make the time to go out and buy a little birthday cake with candles and a present which she’ll wrap up just to make their birthday special.”

“She will even miss her lunch and break to spend time with families who have lost loved ones, having a cup of tea with them and talking,” added Chelsea. “She doesn’t do any of it for the gratitude, it’s utterly selfless - because she’s just an incredibly kind and caring person.”

After her 11-hour-shift at the hospital, Summer then goes on to help at her father’s house. He is waiting for a double hip operation and cannot walk and so Summer cooks, cleans and cares for him as well. 

Chelsea said: “She barely has any time for herself and those five minutes at the end of the day before bed, she loves to spend on Instagram looking at cleaning products to make our new house sparkly and clean! She finds cleaning therapeutic and anything Mrs Hinch loves, she’ll look up.” 

Chelsea nominated her partner after Summer pointed out some  SPh2ONGE products she liked. Chelsea looked for some as a Christmas gift and noticed the Community Award on the SPh2ONGE website. 

“Even though she’s still young, she’s incredibly organised and motivated - she even sorted out out buying our first house together this year. I have no idea where she gets the energy from too support so many people in her daily life,” Chelsea said. 

Summer - who together with colleagues at Derriford hospital has organised a Christmas Day raffle for patients on her ward -  said: “I can’t believe I’ve won this award - “I was really shocked when Chelsea told me, but it’s a really nice feeling when people notice what you do for others.”

She added: “I’d rather be a few quid short and make sure that my patients have something on their birthday and on Christmas if they’re in hospital.”

Christopher Foster, founder of SPh2ONGE said: “Summer is, without doubt,  a very worthy winner  and we were incredibly moved to hear of her tireless acts of kindness and generosity.”

He added: “We launched the SPh2ONGE Community Award because SPh2ONGE’s success has been built on a great community on social media and we wanted to highlight the power in our real life communities, too.”

“The SPh2ONGE Community Award aims to highlight people from all walks of life, of all ages, and from all over the United Kingdom. We wanted to hear the stories of people who would say they they are ordinary, but whose acts are truly extraordinary. We were truly humbled by the stories we received and cannot wait for the next round of nominations so we can hear some more!”

Summer who wins a year’s supply of SPh2ONGE cleaning products and  SPh2ONGE Community Award trophy (which she can keep sparkling clean with a cloth by SPh2ONGE!) said she can’t wait to try the products out. 

Speaking from Perth, Australia where she has been on a pre-Christmas holiday, Summer said: “I love trying out new cleaning products and I can’t wait to get home and blitz the house! It’ll be a very special Christmas - the first in our new home together.”

Nominations for the next SPh2ONGE Community Award open on January 1st 2020 and close on 31st March 2020. You can enter your nominations here