Wakefield Hospice has proudly announced that Debby Veigas has been named the Digital Champion Award winner at this year’s Hospice UK Annual Conference.

The award recognised her ‘outstanding leadership’ in launching the pioneering ReUnite wearable device project for people living with dementia.

The ReUnite Devices - available as wristbands, badges, or fobs - are designed to help vulnerable individuals who may become disorientated, distressed, or lost.

Using simple NFC technology embedded in each device, members of the public can tap the wearable with their smartphone to reveal the individual’s name and two emergency contact numbers, enabling them to be quickly reunited with loved ones.

Debby Veigas has been named the Digital Champion Award winner at this year’s Hospice UK Annual Conference, recognising her outstanding leadership in launching the pioneering ReUnite wearable device project for people living with dementia.

placeholder image — Debby Veigas has been named the Digital Champion Award winner at this year’s Hospice UK Annual Conference, recognising her outstanding leadership in launching the pioneering ReUnite wearable device project for people living with dementia.

First piloted in 2024 in partnership with Wakefield Memory Action Group (MAG) and West Yorkshire Police, and funded by the Mayor of West Yorkshire’s Safer Communities Fund, the project has generated significant national and international interest.

Judges praised Debby for her ‘dedication and determination’, highlighting her role in delivering a scalable, replicable solution with clear, measurable community benefits.

Debby, Wakefield Hospice End of Life Care Admiral Nurse said: “It was a great honour to receive the award.

"This achievement is very much the result of a dedicated team effort and a powerful example of how collaborative working can enhance the safety

and wellbeing of vulnerable individuals within our community.

“I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Memory Action Group for their involvement from the outset, to West Yorkshire Police for their ongoing support, and to Tracy Brabin, whose Safer Communities Fund helped make the project launch possible.

"I am also deeply grateful to my colleagues and volunteers at Wakefield Hospice for their continued commitment and enthusiasm.

“I hope this award will help to further highlight the daily challenges faced by people living with dementia, as well as those caring for them, and increase awareness of these invaluable devices.

"I truly believe the devices can offer significant reassurance and peace of mind, helping to keep vulnerable people safe not only across the Wakefield district, but on a potentially larger scale throughout West Yorkshire and beyond.”

To find out more about ReUnite Devices or to purchase a device, available for just £9.99 each (plus P&P) please visit www.wakefieldhospice.org/reunite.