The Freshies 2026: Finalist, Not Winner, and Completely Fine With That
Written by Stephanie Austin – Owner and Lead Trainer, Prima Cura Training | Last reviewed: June 2026 | Next review: June 2027
I spotted the place cards before I spotted anyone I knew.
Two little navy boxes on the table, gold Freshies badge on the front, “Prima Cura Training” printed across both of them. I took a photo immediately. I’m not going to pretend otherwise.
That was The Freshies 2026, last Friday evening: a not-for-profit awards event run by Fresh Perspective Resourcing, celebrating people and businesses across Lancashire and the North West who are doing good work. And I was there as a Wellbeing Warrior finalist.
I didn’t win. But what a night.
What are the Freshies?
The Freshies is Fresh Perspective Resourcing’s annual awards event, and it stands apart from the usual awards circuit for one simple reason: the whole thing runs on a not-for-profit basis. The point isn’t to fill a room with corporate sponsors and charge a fortune for a table. It’s to recognise people doing meaningful work.
The categories reflect that. Triumphant Trailblazer. Positivity Pioneer. Captain Kindness. Wellbeing Warrior. These aren’t the categories you get at your average business awards evening.
Getting onto the shortlist required making it through a public vote, which meant real people choosing to back you: clients, contacts, people with actual experience of your work. That public vote mattered more to me than the finalist badge. Anyone can enter an awards competition. Getting people to vote for you is a different thing entirely.
Why Wellbeing Warrior?
Honestly, I’m not completely certain why I was nominated for this one. And I think that’s worth sitting with for a minute rather than just glossing over.
Prima Cura Training has spent eleven years delivering first aid, health and safety, and social care training. A lot of that work touches directly on wellbeing. Safeguarding training for care workers. Mental health awareness sessions. Courses that support the people who spend their days supporting other people. I’ve worked in health and social care for over 25 years, and the thread running through all of it is the same: if people don’t feel safe, supported, and confident in what to do, outcomes get worse for everyone.
Whether that’s what the nominator had in mind, I genuinely don’t know. But if the work Prima Cura does had a part to play in someone thinking “yes, her,” I’m glad of it.
The Night Itself
I went along with Lisa Sheridan, and the venue was everything a good awards night should be. Dark, atmospheric, fairy lights, a balloon or two, good company, and enough energy in the room that you stop worrying about the result after about forty-five minutes.
The Wellbeing Warrior shortlist was seriously strong. Ashley Costello, Debs Masson, Kirsty Birch, Jen Brighty, Scott Whitney, Renata Gianquitto, Becky House. All of them are doing work that matters. The person who took that award home earned it (the official announcement of who it is hasn’t been revealed yet, so no spoilers from me).
I came home without a trophy. But I came home knowing that real people had voted for Prima Cura in a public ballot, and that counts for more in the long run than a piece of resin on a shelf.
Thank you to everyone who voted. And thank you to Fresh Perspective for running an awards event with real warmth behind it. I’ll be watching for the 2027 nominations.
If you’d like to know more about what Prima Cura Training delivers, including our safeguarding, health and safety, and specialist social care programmes, get in touch. We’re based in Manchester and work with organisations across the UK.
📧 info@primacuratraining.co.uk 📞 0333 999 8783
This post reflects personal experience and opinion. It is shared for general interest and does not constitute professional or business advice.
