A Newton Aycliffe-based charity that’s helped more than half a million people says it’s “thrilled” to win an award from its own community.
Pioneering Care Partnership (PCP) clinched the Community Champions prize at the 2024 Make Your Mark Awards – a glittering celebration of what makes Aycliffe Business Park such a special community.
And PCP chief executive Carol Gaskarth said it felt special to win the award because it was the first time a Community Champions prize had been presented in the awards’ 10 year history – and it was from her own community.
Initially called the Pioneer and Care Centre and formed to bring health and social care services and support together, since 1998 the PCP has evolved to now having a £7m turnover, with 141 staff members and a 350-strong network of volunteers across the North-East.
But Carol stressed that even though its services are now spreading across the North-East and beyond, “our heart and our roots will always be in Newton Aycliffe.”
“We’re absolutely thrilled for this to be the first community award in the past 10 years,” said Carol, pictured receiving the award from Jonathan Phillips of category sponsor Gestamp.
“It recognises and celebrates the diverse nature of not only the business park but the businesses across Newton Aycliffe and how we work collectively.
“We’re reaching 25 years in terms of the organisation so we’re very established in Newton Aycliffe, but it’s still about what we can bring to people and how we can support the business and wider community.
“Our mission is health, wellbeing and learning for all. It’s about working with people to understand their needs and looking at where else we might work.
“We work with people who might be disadvantaged, left behind or vulnerable – people who need that extra little bit of support.
“Now it’s about broadening that across the North-East and other areas of the country.
“From little acorns grow big oaks, so we hope to be a big oak in the health and wellbeing sphere, that’s for sure.”
With its main base in at Cobblers Hall in Newton Aycliffe, PCP often uses The Work Place on Aycliffe Business Park to deliver sessions.
And receiving an award from the Aycliffe community was extra special for Carol.
She said: “We tend to be nominated for national or regional awards, but this is our first local one and it means so much.
“I’m Newton Aycliffe born-and-bred and lots of people in the room are my peers.”
PCP narrowly edged Palram and ManHealth CIC to win the Community Champions category.
Around 250 people attended the 2024 Make Your Mark Awards which, for the first time, were organised by Tees Business publishers Resolution Media and Publishing and hosted by BBC Tees presenter Gary Philipson in Hardwick Hall’s plush Coleman Suite.
