30 May 2024
At the end of last year, nearly one hundred NHS Borders staff members were nominated by their colleagues for being “Unsung Heroes”. Of those nominated, 38 were shortlisted to be photographed by Kenneth and Natalie Martin for a new exhibition.
The exhibition was inspired by Kenneth Martin’s 1999 exhibition which marked the 10th anniversary of the Borders General Hospital and the 50th anniversary of the NHS. The response to some of the portraits circulating on social media recently inspired this new project undertaken by Sam Marshall, Clinical Educator at NHS Borders, in collaboration with photographers Kenneth Martin and his daughter, Natalie Martin.
This time around staff were offered the opportunity to nominate their own hidden heroes; staff who they feel have gone above and beyond. Those shortlisted saw their portraits unveiled at the NHS Borders Celebrating Excellence Staff Awards event which was held in Springwood Park in Kelso on Friday 19 April.
Sam Marshall described her vision for the project, saying “I wanted to give something back to colleagues who work under challenging pressures, not just our front facing staff, our ‘hidden heroes’ behind the scenes who are the engine room of the NHS.”
Rachel Treeby, a Staff Nurse who was nominated to have her photograph taken said: “It felt so nice to realise that the work I do had been noticed and recognised. Having my portrait taken was a unique experience and I felt so honoured to attend the Staff Awards event and seeing all the portraits being revealed. A big thank you to Sam for organising the whole project.”
Louise McIntosh a Senior Charge Nurse who was also photographed said that “being nominated felt quite humbling, to know staff feel I do my job well is rewarding and makes the challenges we all face worthwhile.”
Kenneth Martin said: “To document the dedication and inspiration of these staff members was a real pleasure, but to do it with my very talented daughter was such a great feeling.”
Sarah Horan, our Director of Nursing, Midwifery and AHPs said: “It is so important that we take the time to acknowledge and celebrate our staff, and this project is a fantastic example of that.
“A big thank you to Sam and the team for their enormous efforts to shine a light on our unsung heroes.”
The portraits are now on display at the Borders General Hospital. You can see all of the portraits here.
