Lymphoma Action awarded the 2021 Karen Van Rassel Leadership Award
Published on: 9 February 2022The award from the Lymphoma Coalition is in recognition of our response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges it caused for people affected by lymphoma.
We are delighted to have been awarded the 2021 Karen Van Rassel Leadership Award by the Lymphoma Coalition, an international network of patient organisations that act as a central hub for current information about lymphoma.
Our award is in recognition of our work during the COVID-19 pandemic to expand our services in order to support more people from greater distances, while addressing the specific issues faced by people affected by lymphoma during the pandemic. The examples given by the Lymphoma Coalition when granting our award include us:
- ensuring people with lymphoma and their loved ones had access to the most recent information on COVID-19 and its impact on their care
- working collaboratively with charity partners to influence policy and advocate on behalf of people with lymphoma who were classified as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable to COVID-19
- modifying our services to support healthcare professionals whose work was deeply impacted by the pandemic
- focusing on how we can help alleviate health inequalities exacerbated by the pandemic
- taking care of our staff team by ensuring practices were in place to protect them from COVID-19, but by also adding resources and supports to help them with their wellbeing through difficult circumstances.
The Karen Van Rassel Leadership Award was created in honour of the retired Chief Executive Officer of the Lymphoma Coalition, her commitment to the organisation and achievements in the global blood cancer community during her tenure as CEO.
We are truly grateful for this award, as we know there are so many deserving organisations in the Lymphoma Coalition dedicated to supporting the lymphoma community. The pandemic has been tough for people, for those affected by lymphoma and for our staff. I am so proud of how the team here have worked to provide the best information and support that they could, driven by a real focus on the job we’re here to do for people affected by lymphoma. This is a wonderful recognition of all their dedication.
9 February 2022