Adam is volunteer of the year!

We are delighted to announce the winner of the Luke Gilbert Volunteer of the Year Award for 2024, who has been recognised for his unwavering enthusiasm and dedication.

Adam is standing holding a wooden plaque - the volunteer of the year award - and beside him is Julie Gilbert, who is the mother of Luke Gilbert, for whom the award is named after. Adam is dressed smartly in a white shirt, and both are smiling at the camera together.

Adam Brombley, 25, was announced as the recipient of the award by the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust on Saturday (22 March) at the charity’s annual training day for its volunteers.

Upon winning the award, Adam, who is a PE teacher, said: “I’m a bit blown away, to be honest. For the first time in my life, I was a bit speechless, as most people who were there saw. Obviously, we don’t volunteer to be awarded, but it’s nice to have that recognition, for me and all the people who were nominated.”

Adam has been volunteering with us since 2019, and this year will join two outdoor adventure trips where he will support under 18s as they rebuild their lives following a cancer diagnosis.

Reasons he was nominated for the annual award include his ‘amazing attitude’ and his dedication to the charity, which has included delivering talks at Southampton Boat Show, Cancer Research UK, and local sailing clubs. His enthusiasm was singled out for praise, as was his ability to keep everyone entertained on the charity’s trips with his unwavering good nature.

Doing something good for the world

Adam was himself supported by us in 2015, after he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Reflecting on that time, he said: “Coming on that first trip was a massive help to connect with so many different people. There are still so many people I keep in touch with from that time.

“We always talk about ‘the magic of the Trust’ here, and being able to potentially give that back to the young people, so they get what I received as a young person, is great. Just seeing the impact you have and seeing somebody come out of their shell is so rewarding.

“It gives you that good feeling inside that you’re doing something good for the world and giving back to what you got so much from.”

Adam is centre stage, dressed in a shirt and red tie, holding a microphone to his mouth with his right hand and his left hand aloft, passionately singing

As well as being a dedicated volunteer, Adam has also fundraised for the charity. He appeared in The Musicals of The Night, an evening of musical theatre at The Station Theatre on Hayling Island, which was a sold-out event inspired by Adam’s experiences with treatment and with the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust.

He is also a member of the charity’s Youth Advisory Group, who act as an invaluable link between the young people the charity supports and its full Board of Trustees. Adam, along with the other members, ensure what’s important to young people is put first whenever the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust make strategic decisions.

The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust’s Luke Gilbert Volunteer of the Year Award was introduced in 2017 in celebration of the Trust’s legendary volunteer. Luke’s incredible personality, sense of humour, enthusiasm, compassion and huge amount of fun made him an inspiration to everyone he met. The annual award winners will have demonstrated all the qualities Luke embodied.