A Derbyshire paramedic described as being ‘selfless, kind-hearted and truly embodying what it means to be from the county’ has received a local award recognising her impact on the community.
Tracy Cunningham was chosen to receive the DerbyshireLive Heroes Emergency Services Award after being nominated by her colleagues within the county for her extraordinary work in Derby where she works as a community paramedic.
Helping homeless and vulnerable people in need suffering with their mental health, drug addiction and historical abuse, Tracy regularly treats hundreds of people in a safe space at the city and helps to get them back on their feet.
Tracy, who alongside saving lives in her day job, mentors new staff, coaching and encouraging them throughout the first few years of their career, and offers emotional support to colleagues as a Peer to Peer volunteer.
And in 2018 she launched a homeless shelter on Christmas Day in conjunction with her church. This shelter provided overnight shelter for 50 people who would otherwise have been sleeping rough in freezing temperatures throughout January and February.
For her tireless contribution, Tracy was also awarded the honour of ‘Hero of Derbyshire 2020’, being chosen from the overall winners which came as a complete surprise.
Hardyal Dhindsa, Police and Crime Commissioner for Derbyshire described Tracy as someone who ‘goes the extra mile to help others, is selfless, kind-hearted and cares for those around her no matter their struggles and is a worthy winner of the award’.
Samantha Westwell, Ambulance Operations Manager for Derbyshire said:
"Congratulations to Tracy on winning a very well deserved award supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our community”.