Julie Bamford, a dedicated children’s community nurse in the Diana Children’s Community Service at Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT), has been awarded a Cavell Star Award for her exceptional compassion and outstanding contribution to children’s nursing.
The Cavell Award is a prestigious national award which recognises outstanding commitment and dedication in nursing staff across the country.
Nominated for the Cavell Award by her colleagues, Julie, affectionately known as “Super Nurse Julie”, has been a valued member of LPT’s Diana Service for thirteen years and is widely regarded as a beacon of positivity, humour and warmth by colleagues, families and children across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
Throughout her extensive nursing career, Julie has consistently demonstrated a remarkable commitment to delivering compassionate and high‑quality community‑based care. Her work enables children who have life-limiting conditions or are at end of life, with complex health needs, to remain at home wherever possible – reducing the need for long hospital admissions and providing families with stability and comfort at some of the most challenging moments of their lives.
Her colleagues describe her energy, humour and kindness as central to her impact.
“Julie is truly a one‑off nurse. She shares this spirit of positivity, humour, and reassurance with every child, family, and colleague she encounters. The title [Super Nurse] is not simply a nickname; it reflects the extraordinary impact she has, and as a team we wholeheartedly agree—she genuinely is a Super Nurse in every sense.”
Julie’s compassion is further shaped by her own personal journey. Following the loss of her baby daughter, Tilly, in 2011, she has bravely shared her story to support others, offering empathy and understanding to families facing bereavement. She also supports voluntary organisations and brings her invaluable lived experience into her practice, particularly in palliative and end‑of‑life care.
Her colleagues say her “calm presence, unwavering support, and commitment to enabling families to remain at home wherever possible make an immeasurable difference to those she serves.”
Her team added: “Julie approaches every aspect of her work with love, humour, dignity, and professionalism. She uplifts colleagues, supports families with extraordinary kindness, and consistently goes above and beyond. Her husband and daughter, Florence, are immensely proud, as are we all.”
Nursing charity Cavell Nurses’ Trust launched the Cavell Star Awards in 2018 in partnership with LloydsPharmacy Clinical Homecare. Nominations are being sought from nursing teams throughout the UK for that special teammate who has shown exceptional care for either their colleagues or their patients and patients’ families: www.cavellstarawards.org