Two porters at the Royal Free London have been recognised at the MyPorter awards which took place in London on Tuesday.

The ceremony honoured the best in portering across six categories, with a third RFL porter also being nominated on the day.

Victor Adjei (Chase Farm Hospital) took home the award for porter of the year for his dedication, willingness and enthusiasm to complete all jobs to the highest standard.

Dubbed a ‘ray of sunshine’ by colleagues, Victor always arrives to work on time and goes out of his way to build rapport with patients so they feel supported and have the best possible experience while in his company. He joined the trust over two years ago and has worked in various departments, but currently works with patients who have specific mental health needs.

Victor also provides care to an unwell family member outside of work, and says this has given him a clearer appreciation of how porters and other staff can be instrumental in a patient's outlook, experience and recovery.

While Victor was not there on the day to receive his award, Ebenezer Opalemo (line supervisor) and Lorraine Cromer (line manager) collected the award on his behalf.

“Getting to know Victor, I was truly inspired by his selfless attitude and how he balances all the personal challenges he faces alongside his work life,” Lorraine said. “Victor is a positive strength and calming influence for all his colleagues, never refusing to help or support anyone. He is a valued asset to our team.”

Ryan Lindsay (Barnet Hospital) also won the award for leadership of the year, in a category which had two other finalists.

Ryan joined the trust in 2012 at the age of 19 and quickly learned the ropes to take on the role of porter at Barnet Hospital’s receipt and delivery department. He then rose through the ranks to become a senior supervisor responsible for a team of around 90 individuals.

Ryan trains staff in many areas, including for their first mortuary transfer. He always schedules one-to-one time with them afterwards, showing compassion and understanding for the task. He has also revamped the induction programme, turning it from an induction pack into an effective and inclusive training course that helps new colleagues get to grips with all aspect of their position. Not only that, but he has established himself with the security team, developing his knowledge and qualifications in this area and gaining his licence.

Speaking about his win, he said he was shocked when his name was read out at the awards.

“You don’t really do things with the intention of getting recognition for them,” he said. “I was even shocked when I was nominated.

“I’m a qualified electrician so I could be working in that field, but I really just love this work and the people involved. Seeing what staff do for patients to make their time in hospital as good as it can be is what I love about the job.”

A third member of staff from Chase Farm Hospital was also nominated in the newcomer of the year category. Deepak Depala is a waste porter at CFH who has become a vital member of the portering team, and is now recognised as an outstanding and reliable all-rounder. He has gotten involved in carrying out extra duties ranging from parcel deliveries to furniture moves and chemical preparation, with no job being too big.

Initially a virtual event which began in 2020, GV Healthcare (the creators of MyPorter) created the awards after seeing first-hand how deserving of recognition porters were.

Also being recognised are cleaners in the MyCleaning awards, with almost 200 nominations being received across both ceremonies this year.