Dr Sally Bradley Memorial Prize

Dr Sally Bradley, was truly a “remarkable and wondrous” clinician and public health doctor. She was a wife, sister, aunt, friend and colleague to countless many. As the former Director of Public Health in Manchester, Medical Director of Pennine Acute NHS Foundation Trust, after having studied medicine at the University of Manchester and started her medical career as a GP in Salford. She was mentor, trainer and supervisor to so many of us in Public Health.

Lord Bradley and Sally’s family have kindly set up the Dr Sally Bradley Memorial Prize for the highest achieving Masters in Public Health student from Greater Manchester who is making a remarkable contribution, as Sally herself did, to the field of public health here in Greater Manchester. “Sally was not only an inspiration to me, but someone that was respected and loved across Greater Manchester and was a truly a bright light in many people’s lives. The light may have been cruelly distinguished for no reason or justification, but she will always live in our hearts and the memories she provided will be forever cherished. I, and my family, will miss her more than words can articulate. It is in her memory and her legacy that we have created this prize.”

Prof Arpana Verma, Programme Director of the MPH said “Sally was an inspiration to us all. I remember hearing about her from other trainees before ever meeting her. You all know what it is like, you start in a new role and for me it was moving into public health from respiratory medicine and we were discussing our trainers or educational supervisors as they are now called. Sally’s name was always mentioned because she was kind, incredibly clever and knowledgeable. When I finally had the great privilege to meet her, she lit up the room with her charisma, charm and her infectious laugh. The one thing I will always remember was how much time she had for people. Her teams all thought the world of her and that included the public that she worked tirelessly to serve. She always had a laugh with us and inspired us to be better, especially as women in this field. Everyone who goes into public health will have their own motivations and it was always clear to me and everyone Sally worked with, hers was to be the voice for those without a voice and to truly improve the health of the public. I know she would never have done any project, job, role or anything in fact, without giving 100%. There are no words to express our gratitude to Lord Bradley and Sally’s amazing family to honour our programme and our students with this inspiration award. As we teach and train the next generation, we can give our students and alumni the incredible legacy Sally has left us. Our humblest thanks for this honour and we promise to never forget the contribution, knowledge and love Sally bought to us, to Public Health and to Greater Manchester.”

Tribute to Dr Sally Bradley by Rt Hon Lord Bradley

On behalf of my family, I am proud to pay tribute to my sister, Dr Sally Bradley, who was so cruelly killed alongside her husband Bill in the Easter Day bombings in Sri Lanka some 5 years ago.
Since that time, I have recovered numerous messages of kindness remembering Sally and conversations with many of her former colleagues and friends who stressed how inspirational she was to their careers and her utter commitment to preventative healthcare and the crucial role of public health in that endeavour.
I am delighted that Mark Westwood will receive this year’s Dr Sally Bradley prize. He clearly encapsulates the values that my sister tried to instil in public health in Manchester and well beyond. He is a tremendously worthy winner.
I and my family are honoured to ensure that Sally’s legacy will live on and that we all continue to strive for improved health and well being throughout our communities.

We are proud to announce the recipients of the Dr Sally Bradley Memorial Prize, awarded in recognition of outstanding commitment to healthcare.

This year, the prize is awarded to Mark Westwood MBA MPH.

Words from Mark:

"I’m truly honoured to receive the Dr Sally Bradley Memorial Prize. Dr Bradley’s passion for public health and the difference she made to people’s lives continue to inspire me and so many others. This award has given me the confidence and motivation to take the next step in my academic journey, undertaking PhD research at the University of Manchester. I’m proud to carry forward the values Sally stood for: making healthcare better, fairer and grounded in evidence-based practice. I hope my work can, in some small way, honour her legacy and help support improvements that will make a positive impact."

Inaugural winner of the Dr Sally Bradley Memorial Prize - Eliza Varga, BSc (Hons), MPH

Words from Eliza:

"Being the first recipient of the Dr Sally Bradley Memorial Prize was a profound honour. Dr Bradley stood for compassion, justice and a deep belief that public health should serve the most often overlooked. These values resonate strongly with the kind of work I strive to do. My interest in public health grew from personal experiences of inequality, and as a result, I've often felt like an outsider in academic spaces. This award made me pause and reflect that maybe I do belong, that my perspective has value, and that this path is worth continuing. I hope to carry forward the spirit of Dr Bradley's work by staying grounded in compassion and keeping people at the heart of public health."

We warmly congratulate Mark and Eliza and thank them for their ongoing contributions to a fairer, kinder world.