Doubleday Manchester Award and Lecture
08 Oct 2024
This year’s lecture will be delivered by BAFTA award winner, George Webster who will also be presented with the 2024 Doubleday Award.
The 2024 Doubleday Manchester Award event, hosted by the Doubleday Centre for Patient Experience, will take place on Wednesday 30 October at 1.30pm.
About our 2024 Award Recipient, George Webster
George is TV presenter, actor, dancer, author and charity ambassador. He was the first person with Down Syndrome to become a presenter on the BBC, establishing himself as a firm favourite on CBeebies. Still in his early 20's, he has already achieved many of his dreams, including dancing on Strictly Come Dancing, acting on stage in the UK and France, appearing in his favourite TV shows and winning a best actor award for his lead role in S.A.M.
He has also been in the top 20 TV Presenters according to the Radio Times, the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 and the young person of the year in his native Yorkshire. He has been an ambassador for parkrun, Yorkshire Dance and Royal Mencap.
George’s first two books, ‘This is Me!’ and ‘Why Not?!’ have been featured at major book festivals. He has enjoyed public speaking engagements with everyone from Disney to the Royal Society of Medicine and the NHS Confederation. He believes we are all special, we are all unique and we all have a glow inside each one of us. He lives in Leeds and loves his life.
Speaking about the Announcement, Professor Dame Robina Shah, Director Doubleday Centre for Patient Experience, said: “As the youngest ever recipient of the National Doubleday Award, I am delighted that George has been nominated, this is a landmark achievement that resonates deeply with both young people and adults.
"George is a most worthy of this recognition, his ground-breaking contributions as a BAFTA award-winning presenter, actor, author, and advocate not only showcase his immense talent and dedication but also highlight the importance of inclusivity and representation in the media.
“For medical students, George’s story is particularly inspiring, illustrating the remarkable achievements possible regardless of medical or genetic conditions. His success challenges preconceived notions about disabilities and encourages everyone to advocate for inclusivity, diversity, and support in all aspects of society, education, and healthcare.”
Commenting on the Award George said: “I feel very proud and privileged to receive this award, it’s such a great honour. It means a lot to me thank you. It’s important to have representation because we are all different and we can all achieve many amazing things in life.”
10 years of the Doubleday Award and Lecture
This year marks the 10th Anniversary of the Doubleday Centre for Patient Experience which was established in 2015 by the Edwin Doubleday Fund as the first centre of its kind in England. The Fund was set up by the parents of Edwin Doubleday, a former medical student at Manchester who passed away before he could take his final exams.
The annual Doubleday Award and Lecture is granted to an individual of standing who has made a significant contribution to patient care and who, in turn, delivers a lecture at The University of Manchester.
Professor Dame Robina Shah, Director Doubleday Centre for Patient Experience, commented:
“As we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Doubleday Centre, we have the opportunity to pause, reflect, and remember a fantastic decade of progress. What began as a heartfelt dedication by the Doubleday family to honour the memory of their son, Dr. Edwin Doubleday, through an annual lecture and national award, has since grown into a vision for a dedicated Centre for Patient Experience. This Centre now embeds patient partnership at the heart of medical education.
"Over the past ten years, this vision has blossomed into a model recognised both nationally and internationally. We’ve transformed how future doctors are trained, placing patient experience at the core of their learning. Our collaboration with colleagues, medical education partners, Ambassadors and students has been pivotal to this success. As we look ahead, we are excited to continue innovating and expanding, ensuring that compassionate, patient-centred care remains at the core of medical education.”
Registration to attend