Embrace awards

We're very excited to announce the team at Whangarei's Stephen Gillingham House of Travel as the Embrace Award winners for 2007.

The team is pictured right with Hospice New Zealand ambassador and celebrity chef Jo Seagar and North Haven Hospice funding development manager Ros Martin.

Nominated by their partner North Haven Hospice, the Whangarei HOT team stood out as they truly have absorbed hospice into every aspect of their business.

The Embrace Award was established last year to acknowledge outlets and hospices that have gone that extra mile in everything they do together.

Hospice New Zealand chief executive Mary Schumacher presented Stephen Gillingham with the 2007 award at House of Travel’s annual conference in Christchurch recently.

The award was a piece of artwork especially designed and created by people attending Wellington’s Mary Potter Hospice day-stay.

North Haven Hospice had nothing but praise for Stephen Gillingham House of Travel in its nomination.

“They work incredibly hard in their ‘day jobs’ and then they work for hospice – that’s dedication, that’s support, that’s Stephen Gillingham House of Travel.”

Stephen Gillingham said he and his team were "blown away" with the award.

"It made for a very special day. We - and North Haven - are equally delighted so we will take a moment to enjoy the recognition, create some awareness and then it will be back to developing the partnership further. The journey has really only just begun for us," he said.

Last year's inaugural Embrace Award winner was Dennis Payne and his team at HOT Orewa.