Nottinghamshire’s Armed Forces’ champions honoured at Boots and Beret 2026 Awards

Around 240 guests, including Armed Forces champions and dignitaries, attended the showpiece event, organised by Nottinghamshire County Council, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Nottingham.

This year’s awards were presented across eight categories and the winners were:

• Inspiration Award, sponsored by Experian – Amanda Morledge, Armed Forces Clinical Champion, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

• Reservist Award, sponsored by Arc Partnership – Danny Downham, Army Lieutenant Colonel

• Health and Wellbeing Award, sponsored by SCAPE – Brian Dacunha, Cadet Force Adult Volunteer, Forest Forces

• Cadet Forces Adult Volunteer Award, sponsored by Via East Midlands – Major Kyle Beeston, County Training Officer, Nottinghamshire Army Cadet Force

• Employer Award, sponsored Anderson Green – Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue

• Employee Award, sponsored by West Nottinghamshire College – Nicole Dixon, Deputy Head of People Governance, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

• Projects and Events Award, sponsored by Business Support Service, Nottinghamshire County Council – ATTFE College , Simon Martin, Executive Leader

• Community Award, sponsored by Motorfinity – Susan Parker, Newark Services Club

Edwina Morris was presented with a special award in recognition of her long-standing work with the Royal British Legion and Merchant Navy Association Mansfield and Ashfield branch and for her tireless support of Nottinghamshire’s Armed Forces community.

The glittering ceremony, which has quickly become a firm favourite with the county’s military and business communities, also included a wonderful performance by the South Notts Hussar Association Band.

Guest of honour was Sir Simon Bollom, chairman of the Armed Forces charity, SSAFA (Soldiers', Sailors', Airmen's and Families Association), and former BBC broadcaster, Melvyn Prior, was the host for what proved to be a highly moving occasion.

Councillor Kelvin Wright, our Armed Forces Champion, said: “It was a real privilege to attend this year’s Boots and Beret Awards and celebrate the outstanding people and organisations that do so much to support Nottinghamshire’s Armed Forces community.

“From those who have served our country to those who continue to serve, and from employers and charities to volunteers and community groups, there are so many people across our county who go above and beyond to make a difference.

“The Boots and Beret Awards provide a wonderful opportunity to shine a light on these contributions and, importantly, to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone involved.

“As Armed Forces Champion, I am incredibly proud to play a part in supporting our Armed Forces community and helping ensure that Nottinghamshire remains a place where serving personnel, veterans, reservists, cadets and their families feel valued and supported.

“Congratulations to this year’s winners and nominees. Every one of them should be immensely proud of their achievements, and I hope this year’s awards inspire even more people and organisations to get involved and show their support for our fantastic Armed Forces community.”

Amanda Morledge won the Inspiration Award for her work championing the Armed Forces community at Nottingham University Hospitals, where she’s Armed Forces Clinical Champion, ensuring equitable access to care for serving personnel, veterans and their families.

She said: “I’m really humbled. I am just one person in a small team that has worked incredibly hard.

“I’m really chuffed that we’ve been recognised. And it gives us the inspiration to want to go further and do more and more for our Armed Forces community.”

Danny Downham, of Nottingham building services design consultancy Anderson Green, received the Reservist Award for embedding a culture in his workplace that recognises and supports reservists, veterans and service families.

Delighted Danny, who served for 32 years in the regular Army and is now a senior reservist, said: “From a reservist perspective, it’s just fantastic. I think there’s recognition on both sides – it’s the reserves themselves, what we do, what we provide, what we give but also the organisations that allow us to do it.

“I’m just so proud of my organisation because they give me so many freedoms to do it. For me, it’s not necessarily about what I’ve done – and I’ve done a lot – but it’s more about what they allow us to do.

“Hopefully winning the award will enthuse and inspire other people to look out for veterans, reservists and the cadet volunteers coming through.

“When you see someone dedicate their lives to what they’re doing, you’re thinking that’s going to advocate and inspire me to do that.”

The Forest Forces programme, delivered by Nottingham Forest Community Trust, was the winner of the Health and Wellbeing Award for its work to support veterans by reducing social isolation and improving wellbeing through inclusive, accessible activities.

A delighted Brian Dacunha, Cadet Force Adult Volunteer at Forest Forces, said: “I'm absolutely stunned to win this award. Even being nominated was amazing.

“I’m really proud as it’s recognition not just for me, but for the whole Forest Forces team.

“This event highlights all the good work happening across Nottinghamshire.”

Major Kyle Beeston, County Training Officer with the Nottinghamshire Army Cadet Force, won the Cadet Forces Adult Volunteer Award in recognition of his instrumental role to increase cadet and adult volunteer numbers across Nottinghamshire – ultimately helping to raise the profile of the Army Cadet Force.

He said: “I’m absolutely over the moon. To be honest, the first thing I’m going to do is post this out to the team I work with because it wouldn’t have been possible without any of them supporting me in what we do. It means lot.

“Congratulations to everyone who won and were nominated and, to those who weren’t that are still working hard for all cadets and young people in the community, keep up the good work, it does make a difference.”

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue, which currently employs more than 60 veterans, six reservists and one Army Cadet Force adult volunteer, won the Employer Award. It also advertises all vacancies through the Careers Transition Partnership and the Forces Families Jobs portal, with ex-forces personnel guaranteed an interview on application for a position within the organisation.

Andy Macey, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue’s Area Manager for Response, said: “It is very important for us as an organisation. It’s such a lovely thing for us to win.

“We pride ourselves on providing a good service for ex-servicemen and women.

“The skills, the attitudes and the behaviours of ex-service personnel align perfectly with the values of the fire service, so really it’s a win-win situation.”

Nicole Dixon, Deputy Head of People Governance at Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust, won the Employee Award for her unwavering commitment to the Armed Forces community within her organisation.

She has been instrumental in helping NUH become the first acute hospital trust in the area to receive the Defence Employers Recognition Scheme Gold Award and Veterans’ Covenant Healthcare Alliance accreditation.

She said: “It’s amazing to receive this award. It was such a surprise and I feel very inspired.”

Academy Transformation Trust Further Education (ATTFE), of Sutton-in-Ashfield, received the Projects and Events Award in recognition of it working with a dedicated partnership to deliver the Ashfield Festival of Remembrance.

As part of the initiative, young learners work directly alongside veterans – allowing them to hear first-hand the powerful experiences of service personnel.

Simon Martin, Executive Leader at ATTFE, said: “We are absolutely delighted because winning an award like this is, of course, recognition but it’s also a platform to enable us to carry forward the work that we do in the communities that we work for, to recognise the contribution of the Armed Forces within our communities and the way that the communities support them as well.

“We do a lot of work that relates to supporting the Armed Forces and the services’ communities and everyone involved will see this as vindication of how they work so hard.

“This is such a fantastic event because it recognises what so many different individuals and different kinds of organisations do to basically support the Armed Forces community in Nottinghamshire.

“And that is so important, because for the Armed Forces community to be successful it has to have the support of the communities that it has come from – and that’s what tonight has shown.”

On receiving her special award, Edwina Morris said: “It’s absolutely brilliant to be honoured with this special award.

“My memories from the war as a young girl have really stayed with me and ever since, I’ve been involved with the services. I was even married to a soldier.

“I’ve been closely involved with the Merchant Navy Association and, later on, through my work in mental health services, I met a lot of people who had served and were struggling with their mental health.

“This awards means such a lot to me as the services are such a big part of my life.”

The Community Award was won by Susan Parker, of Newark Services Club, for providing an exceptional, reliable programme that keeps serving personnel, veterans and families connected by providing coffee mornings, bingo sessions, a monthly quiz and breakfast to create regular opportunities for friendship, peer support and early help.

The club also works closely with other organisations, including Nottinghamshire Police and local authorities, to provide clear routes into welfare advice, mental health support, employment guidance and wider practical help.