Sarah Goff wins Board Award at 2026 Pride of DPT Awards
Congratulations to our TALKWORKS Operational and Professional Lead, Sarah Goff, who has won the Board Award at the 2026 Pride of DPT awards. The annual staff awards ceremony shines a light on individuals and teams within Devon Partnership NHS Trust (DPT) who go above and beyond to make a difference to our patients, their families and our workforce.
The Board Award is a special category within the awards, with winners personally selected by the Trust’s Chief Executive, Phill Mantay, and Chairperson, Andy Willis. Sarah was recognised for her exceptional leadership within TALKWORKS and for her vision, expertise and determination in developing and implementing the prolonged grief disorder therapy (PGDT) pathway across our NHS Talking Therapies service.
Since 2023, more than 500 people have accessed PGDT, with outcomes exceeding national targets for both improvement and recovery. TALKWORKS service users have shared how the PGDT has helped them to ‘reconnect more’ with life and improve both their mental and physical wellbeing. More information about prolonged grief and what the therapy looks like can be found on the TALKWORKS website.
The Pride of DPT Awards 2026 is an annual event which celebrates the outstanding contributions that DPT staff, volunteers and experts by experience make to our services and patients within our care. The event welcomed 150 people to the in-person celebration which took place at Westpoint Arena in Exeter. It was also broadcast live for colleagues who wanted to watch the ceremony but were unable to attend.
Guests heard an inspirational talk from Benjamin Mee, who detailed the journey that himself and his family had taken to buy Dartmoor Zoo, which then inspired the award-winning film ‘We Bought A Zoo’ featuring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson. The afternoon’s celebrations also included a delicious afternoon tea and live music from Penny Rogers and her string quartet.