Harry gives moving speech
After the sweet pre-ceremony, Harry delivered hopeful words to the crowd. He said:
"Good evening everyone, and thank you for the warm welcome.
Well, another year, another WellChild Awards, and not a dry eye in the house. Sounds about right!
I’d like to thank GSK again for their continued support, not only of the WellChild Awards, but of WellChild and its mission as a whole.
These Awards are always a very special evening because they give us the opportunity to recognize and celebrate an extraordinary group of children and young people living with complex medical needs, as well as the incredible families who give it everything they've got every single day.
Tonight is also about recognizing the remarkable people who go above and beyond to help those children, young people and families live full and meaningful lives. And that really is at the heart of what WellChild is all about.
This year is particularly special because we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the WellChild Nurse programme.
Twenty years is quite a milestone, and it is a wonderful opportunity to pay tribute to an incredible community of nurses — many of whom are here with us tonight — who make such a profound difference to families across the UK.
In fact, can all our WellChild nurses please stand so that we can embarrass and thank you!
Since the first WellChild Nurse was appointed 20 years ago, the programme has grown to 54 nursing posts in children's hospitals and communities throughout the UK.
I was fortunate enough to see some of that work for myself when I visited Birmingham Children's Hospital this summer and had the chance to meet several WellChild Nurses, as well as some of the families whose lives they have helped to transform.
What really struck me was just how much their role evolves.
It is, of course, about helping children to leave hospital and return home. But it is about so much more than that. It is about giving children and young people the confidence and support to thrive at home, at school and within their communities. It's about supporting parents in every way possible depending on what their needs are. It is giving everything of yourself, every day, for every person that needs you.
That holistic support makes an enormous difference — not just to a child, or a parent, but to an entire family.
And the achievements and inspiring stories we have heard tonight are so often made possible by the dedication, expertise and compassion of WellChild Nurses, alongside the many other children's nurses and professionals who do this incredibly important work every day.
We also know that they are doing it at a time when our health and social care system is under immense pressure.
For families caring for a young person with complex medical needs, that can sometimes mean feeling overlooked or isolated, at precisely the time when they most need support.
And that is why evenings like this matter.
The stories we have heard tonight, the work of WellChild, and the legacy of the WellChild Nurse programme give me enormous confidence and hope.
They remind us what is possible when we invest in families, when we support the dedicated professionals who care for them, and when we work together to make sure that every child has the opportunity to be well cared for, well supported and well loved.
To all the mums and dads - most of us will never truly know the emotional ups and downs of your day. But I sincerely hope that you take strength from nights like this. And while we may not know the details of your day, in this room and beyond, we recognize the commitment of your care and all that comes with it.
So, to all of tonight's winners: you are a shining light for all of us.
Thank you for everything you do, for being you, and congratulations once again.
Have a wonderful evening."
Ira Deokule
