Care, compassion and teamwork – three key ingredients to Pioneering Care Partnership (PCP) winning the Service Business of the Year title, according to its chief executive.
Wellbeing charity PCP was created in 1998 by Newton Aycliffe residents to develop a “one-stop shop” for disability services – and the Pioneering Care Centre was born.
Fast forward to 2025 and the figures for an organisation that now spreads across the North-East are startling – 150 staff, 350 volunteers and supporting around 125,000 individuals each year.
But for chief executive Carol Gaskarth, who received the award from Jessica Gwaringa of category sponsor Moonrise 24hr Recruitment, there’s no place like home.
She said: “We’re thrilled to receive this because we were born as an organisation in Newton Aycliffe.
“We cover the North-East now and have aspirations of going beyond the North-East, but it’s our home, it’s where we started and we’re very keen to employ and recruit locally but also support local people to thrive.
“And a service award like this means everything in terms recognising all the services and people we’re here to help.”
Praising the PCP team – staff, senior leadership and trustees – Carol commented: “For me, it’s about recognising skills and developing those within the team but also thinking about innovation and how we can grow to serve our communities.
“Having care, compassion, teamwork, volume and skill has allowed us to grow over the past few years and we’ve been able to diversify as well.
“In terms of culture and making sure people have the ethos of PCP running through them, it’s important to be really visible as a leader in the organisation but to listen.
“We’ve got two ears and one mouth so learn to make sure you hear what people are saying and proactively take it on board and use it to help shape services.”
Carol referenced schemes such as the Better Health At Work Award as an example of how PCP spreads its message of “health, wellbeing and learning for all”.
She added: “The PCP built a healthy living centre in Newton Aycliffe as a one-stop shop for health.
“It’s the only one like that in the North-East and while it’s changed a bit over time, it’s really important that’s what it remains – we don’t want it to become an office block or anything like that.
“But in general, the PCP is all about health and wellbeing and we’ll continue to diversify in terms of employability and mental health.”
PCP edged Metrick Consultancy and Murtek to the Service Business category at the 2025 Make Your Mark Awards, held in association with Senstronics at Hardwick Hall in front of 300 guests.