A VISIONARY nurse who founded a pioneering community kindness initiative in the district has been shortlisted for a top UK award.

Alison Bunce, director of care at Ardgowan Hospice, has transformed attitudes and practices addressing social isolation, death and bereavement across the area through the Compassionate Inverclyde initiative.

She has now been selected from hundreds of entries across the nation for the leadership category of the Royal College for Nursing awards 2022.

Alison will find out if she has won at a ceremony on October 6 at the plush Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel in London.

The overall RCN Nurse of the Year, selected from all the category winners, will also be announced at the event.

Alison said: “I am so surprised and delighted to have been chosen as a finalist.

“The ethos of Compassionate Inverclyde is local people working alongside existing formal services, enabling them to do ordinary things for ordinary people, tapping into our desire to be kind, helpful and neighbourly.

“Ordinary people are part of a dynamic, growing and largely self-organising social movement of fundraisers, volunteers, befrienders, companions, community cafes, compassionate schools, businesses and neighbourhoods.

“Caring for one another at times of crisis and loss is everyone’s responsibility.”

Compassionate Inverclyde has made huge strides since it was set up in 2017.

It runs the widely-praised No One Dies Alone project, which provides companionship for people at the end of their lives, and also supplies vital Back Home Boxes full of supplies for people who are being discharged from wards.

During the pandemic lockdown the team collected prescriptions for people who couldn't get out and phoned individuals who were stuck at home.

It provided thousands of sets of nightwear, toiletries and blankets for IRH patients too.

CI recently received the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service - the highest award given to volunteer groups across the UK.

A spokesperson for Lloyds Pharmacy Clinical Homecare, sponsors of the RCN leadership award, said: “This year’s entries demonstrate the value and innovation that nurses bring to the forefront of patient care despite the challenges and constraints within healthcare.

RCN general secretary and chief executive Pat Cullen added: “This shortlist showcases the very best of nursing and highlights the work we do, day in, day out, to improve the health and well-being of our patients.

“I am so proud of all of these finalists.”