Basingstoke's Inspire Awards 2025: St Michael's Hospice overall winner

The hospice was recognised as the ‘Sustainable Champion’ and awarded the ‘Winner of Winners’ title.

Judges were impressed by the hospice’s dedication to reducing its energy consumption while providing the same hospice care, making it a ‘green beacon’ in the sector.

Iain Cameron, chief executive of St Michael’s Hospice, said: “It’s incredible, it is an absolute testament to the hard-working staff who are so dedicated to providing very high-quality care to patients and the local community.

“I’m just so proud of the team and incredibly grateful to have played a part in tonight’s Inspire Awards.”

The St Michael's Hospice team with the Winner of Winners award (Image: Destination Basingstoke) Amid rising energy costs, the hospice has reduced its energy consumption by over 40 per cent, using a new heating system, solar panels, electric vehicles and energy awareness.

Iain said: “The award is even more special because everything that’s been thrown at us in the last 18 months - the increase in National Insurance, the cost of living, rising cost of energy and to come out of this and be proactive, taking matters into our own hands and ensuring that we reduce our consumption and emissions.

“To ensure that everything we do is cost-effective, to make sure that every pound that is generated by our incredible community can go directly into patient care.”

The Sustainable Champion award was collected by Chris Griffiths, the operations director, who led the project, which also helped save the hospice 44 per cent in costs and reduce its carbon emissions by 41 per cent. 

Judges described the hospice as leading with ‘compassion, innovation and an unwavering commitment to excellence’ with Mark Jones, the Inspire Awards host and partnership manager at Destination Basingstoke, declaring ‘hopefully other hospices will follow suit.’

Iain Cameron with Mark Jones at the Inspire Awards (Image: Destination Basingstoke) St. Michael’s Hospice is a charity that provides support to people across North Hampshire who have a life-limiting illness, are facing the end of life, or are experiencing bereavement. Only 22 per cent of its funds are provided by the NHS, with the rest raised by the community. 

For more on the hospice go to stmichaelshospice.org.uk/

For more on the Inspire Awards, which are run annually by not-for-profit Destination Basingstoke, go to destinationbasingstoke.co.uk/inspire/