THIS year’s popular Hereford Times Health and Social Care Awards ceremony is being streamed on Facebook, and it’s going to be an event to remember!

You can watch it here from 7pm on Thursday, October 22. It runs for about an hour, and you don't need to have a Facebook profile/account.

Good Morning Britain star Dr Hilary Jones will be your host, and some household names will be making guest appearances.

But the real stars will be those nominated for one of our awards.

Ledbury Reporter:

In this – the year of coronavirus – they will have some especially inspiring stories to tell that will make it a truly uplifting occasion.

We want you to get the most of out the evening by watching with friends where you can do so safely, and by sharing your messages, pictures and videos on social media.

So here’s our guide to how you can get involved.

  1. Watch in real time if you can. The awards ceremony will be streamed from 7pm on Thursday, October 22, but the video will remain available to view on the Hereford Times Facebook page afterwards. It will, though, be more fun to watch it as it happens, so you can share the emotion of the evening as it unfolds with others.
     
  2. Ideally, watch it in the same place as well as the same time as friends and colleagues – as long as you can observe the coronavirus rules on social gatherings, which you can find here. Don’t forget to arrange some drinks and nibbles. If you have a potential winner in your party you might even want to quietly put a couple of bottles of bubbly on ice just in case! You’ll need a big box of tissues too, because there’s no getting away from it… it’s going to be an emotional night!
     
  3. If you are watching alone at home bookmark the Hereford Times Facebook page in advance so you are all ready for the show before it starts. If you are not confident about using Facebook ask a friend to give you a demo of the basics – it really isn’t difficult to use. You can view the show on a PC, laptop, tablet or mobile phone. Some TVs also give you access to Facebook. You don't have to have a Facebook profile or be a regular Facebook user to watch the video.

    WATCH THE AWARDS HERE
     
  4. Don’t just watch the show – take part too! The video will be streamed in a Facebook post that you can share with your friends. You can also add your comments, emojis and photos. Send your best wishes to the nominees and congratulations to the winners, tag family and friends to bring them into the fun, share pictures of your celebrations if someone you know wins an award, and show your appreciation as often as you can for the wonderful people in Herefordshire who have faced up to Covid every day with courage and determination to care for you or your loved ones.
     
  5. You can also join in the fun on Twitter and Instagram. You won’t be able to watch the awards ceremony on those platforms, but you can certainly post messages of support and share your celebrations. Include the #HSCawards hashtag so we can find your posts and share them as widely as possible, or just tag us: @herefordtimes.

Dr Hilary won’t be the only star at the ceremony. TV celebrities Dr Phil Hammond, Ben Fogle and Mike Bushell will appearing too.

Ledbury Reporter:

Phil Hammond has been an NHS doctor for 32 years, a comedian for 23 years, a BBC broadcaster for 29 years and Private Eye’s medical correspondent for 27 years.

Broadcaster, writer and adventurer Ben Fogle, first came to fame when he took part in the BBC reality show Castaway 2000 with a group of 36 marooned on the Scottish island of Taransay for a year. As a TV presenter he has worked for the BBC, ITV, Channel 5, Sky, Discovery and the National Geographic channels and has hosted Crufts, One Man and His Dog, and Countryfile.

RELATED NEWS: All our stories about the health and social care awards

Mike Bushell presents the sport on BBC Breakfast on Thursdays, Fridays and at the weekends, and sometimes on other weekdays. In 2019, he participated in series 17 of Strictly Come Dancing.

Altogether 13 awards will be handed out during the event to recognise the dedication and professionalism of local health and social work staff and volunteers – either and individuals and teams.

The award categories are Health Care Team, Care Hero, Care Home Worker, Domiciliary Home Worker, Good Nurse, Care Trainer, Child and Adolescent Health, Dementia Carer, Palliative/End of Life, Mental Health, Health Care Employer, GP Practice of the Year.