Making People Matter

Five Lamps is proud of the achievements our customers have made.

Every year we give awards to our customers and volunteers. The People Matter Awards are about celebrating the achievements of individuals, some who have had to overcome barriers and deal with issues that have changed their lives.

People Matter Awards 2010

Last year 19 people were awarded a People Matter Award at our Celebration Event in November 2010.

Ahmad Hakimzada & Nicola Hall.

Five Lamps has been duly recognised for the investment it makes in its staff and volunteers. Over 60 individuals have undertaken personal and professional development activities this year. During our successful Investors in People review this year, the assessor asked us whether we included our staff in the People Matter Awards, particularly where the qualifications gained contributed to further business success.

 During the past two-years, both Ahmad and Nicola have been working hard to both complete Masters Degrees, in subjects of major relevance to the organisation – not an easy task to complete whilst working full-time. This month, Ahmad was awarded his Masters in Visual and Web Applications from Teesside University and Nicola achieved a commendation in her Masters in Public Administration from Northumbria University, her dissertation focusing on whether a third sector organisation could lead the financial agenda in the north-east.

Richard Spruce  

This award is in recognition of the contribution that Richard has made over a period of twenty plus years as a Trustee. Since joining the Board, originally as a nominee of Churches Together locally, Richard has demonstrated a powerful commitment to the work that Five Lamps does in our communities, in his quiet and unobtrusive way.

Richard is fiercely proud of his Thornaby roots and of the growth and impact of the organisation over its 25 years.

It remains rare for individuals to sustain their support for any organisation over such a timescale and through such change and the whole organisation is delighted to recognise Richard’s contribution with a richly-deserved People Matter Award.

Callum Miller

Callum engaged with Five Lamps in August 2009 after being laid off from his job with another turbo company. He was in dire straits financially and was very close to having to sell the family home and move in with the in-laws to save money.

He invested the very last of his money on the business, Turbo Connect, and with support from a Five Lamps loan, was able to begin trading from Stockton Business Centre last October. Since then he has gone from strength to strength, taken on new staff and is currently looking at moving into larger premises to cope with the volume of orders he now receives. 

Callum deserves this award for his sheer bloody-mindedness!!

Jodie Hind

Up until his release from jail in April 2009, Jodie had spent 70% of his life from the age of 15 in young offender’s institutes and adult prisons and his offending was linked to his addictive behaviour issues.  

Although he carried a Prolific Priority Offender status until April of this year, Jodie has not reoffended since being released, and remains clean and sober. 

He made a conscious decision during his last spell inside to change his life. He has achieved this so far in spectacular fashion. Jodie has volunteered for Five Lamps for six months and is currently studying for his Level 3 Counselling Skills and Theory after completing his levels 1 and 2 with the support of Five Lamps.

Jodie works within the Employability Team as a Listening/Social Support Mentor, and is able to identify with clients who live chaotic lifestyles and work with them in a constructive way to stabilise their lives and help them to progress. Jodie is a positive example to his former Peers.     

Letricia Heighley

Letricia has shown enormous dignity, determination and disciple, striving to achieve many personal goals. She has had to overcome multiple barriers and has succeeded in completing a Level 1 and 2 in IT and an employability and confidence building course and is now attending a numeracy course.

Letricia has often told us that “the only people to help me are Five Lamps” and that she ‘doesn’t know what she would have done without us”. However we feel that she had it all within her, we just helped bring her out of her shell and she has achieved so much this year. Not only has she volunteered to be interviewed for our website, but she also attended a forum with the Former Minister of Housing, John Healey (The New Shadow Minister of Health) and with this new found confidence was interviewed on Radio Tees by Luke Walton discussing the services of the Five Lamps. Letricia has discovered her niche in life and has hidden her light under a bushel for too long!!

Ishmeal Adams

Ishmeal has shown humungous drive, enthusiasm, energy and a continued spirit of hope, during a very long process searching for work and retraining in the meantime. He attended Five Lamps almost every day for a year and completed computer courses, attended Job Search forums and popping in to look at our Job board and completing a mountain of applications.

His determination to secure work was tangible and when he started work as a Production Operative in June there was much joy. He said “what would I have done without you”. Often it is the likes of this young man’s tremendous spirit which drives us to continue our life changing and transformational work. 

Sharon Rodham & Karen Hunter  

Karen & Sharon came into the Five Lamps in a fluster in July 2009 having recently found that their employer was emigrating and looking to sell or close the business that they had both worked in for numerous years.

They were interested in finding out about how they could take over the business themselves as a way of safeguarding their income. Neither had had any previous business experience and both found it a little daunting to say the least!

However, with a lot of hard work, a steep learning curve and many sleepless nights they finally succeeded in opening the shop under the new name of ‘Fillers’ in November 2009 after attracting loan and grant support from Five Lamps.

They now employ staff and are steadily increasing turnover month on month. And all of this in spite of the current economic situation.

Bob Warriner

Bob has volunteered for Five Lamps for over one year. After completing his counselling skills level 2 with Five Lamps funding support, Bob started volunteering as a Listening/Social Support Mentor within the Employability Team.

Bob receives his referrals from Five Lamps Intensive Support Workers, and from external agencies.

Bobs specialist areas are alcohol and mental health issues. Bob has helped to stabilise a number of heavy drinkers, and to help alcoholics to refrain from drinking. He also uses his professional yet relaxed approach to engage and help people affected by mental health issues to reflect on their conditions and move forward.

Bob is a quiet unassuming fella who gets on with his job, and gets a lot out of helping people. He is much respected by his colleagues and clients.

Aaron Simonette

Aaron has been coming to Five Lamps Youthy since 2002. When he first started he had a poor attitude and was causing problems in the Youthy, which unfortunately led to him being barred. This pattern of behaviour continued over the following 3 to 4 years.

Aaron came back to the Youthy at the beginning of 2008 asking if he could come back on a more regular basis. After a few discussions and guarantees, Aaron and his mates were allowed to come back and attempt to change some of their ideas and perceptions.

Within a short time frame Aaron asked if he could join our e2e programme and he started with us in June 2008. Aaron was with us for 17 weeks and left in January 2009, but within that time he excelled at all the outdoor activities and achieved qualifications in Adult Literacy, Adult Numeracy in and a Level 2 Community Health Champions Award.

We had regular contact with Aaron through his continuing use of the Youthy on an evening and it was not till November 2009 that Aaron asked for our help again, he rejoined e2e with a more focused view of what he wanted to achieve, and his new goal was to join the army. In February of this year Aaron Simmonette went into the Army and joined the Royal Logistics Corps.

Aaron has travelled a very precarious road and had a very long and hard journey to travel, but he has turned out to be one of the nicest, compassionate and caring young men you could wish to meet and is a role model for other young people.

Louise Moore

Louise contacted Five Lamps Enterprise team in January 2010 looking for a “critical friend” to work with her on her idea to set up a quality cupcakes and muffins business.

Over the next four to five months she met Chris Butler on a regular basis as she gathered and analysed the information to be reasonably sure that this venture was financially viable. Both coming from industrial/manufacturing backgrounds, Louise and Chris had a common understanding of the importance of cost and process control.

Combining this with Louise’s creative flair and eye for design, and Chris’s “Dragons Den style” challenges to her business model, helped her produce a robust Business and Marketing plan.

Six months into trading, the business is growing steadily and Louise has an increasingly widening customer base and has taken on a member of staff who she recruited with help from Five Lamps Employability and Youthy teams

In a competitive market for the supply of cakes, Louise’s very powerful brand image, marketing and passion for product quality, as you will have experienced earlier tonight, and customer service, undoubtedly allows her to position her product at the higher end of the market and stand out significantly from the competition.

Jonathon Caldwell

Jonathon has experienced considerable disadvantage due to health difficulties. He has also suffered personal loss and disappointment. However he sustained a high level of commitment to progress into his chosen career, working to take care of the environment.

Jonathon completed a degree in applied Geology and a diploma in Countryside Management, however he endured many years without securing a post within this area. 

Jonathon attended Five Lamps and with support from the Employability Team he secured a voluntary post at the Admiralty Ecology Site, Eaglescliffe, showing tremendous commitment to this placement. From this perseverance he has enjoyed much success and progressed to a full time post with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.

Lauren Riddle

Lauren joined the Youthy’s e2e programme in February 2010 and had a fixed notion that she wanted a career in childcare. Lauren did not have a good time at school and in her last year she hardly attended at all.

Lauren has worked extremely hard in her time on e2e and gained a number of qualifications. Lauren tried childcare and decided that it was not for her. Lauren decided that she wanted to try her hand at Business Administration and was successful in progressing into training with JHP to start her level 2 qualification and is currently on a work placement at the Youthy.

Lauren was also a key player in developing, delivering and working on our Inside Out film project, premiered in August.

Lauren has come a very long way in a very short time and should be congratulated on her effort, performance and commitment to learning.  Lauren deserves to be recognised for all that she has achieved and the journey that she has travelled.  

Irene Jessop

Irene first came in to Five Lamps a year ago with her business partner, looking to open a new Funeral Parlour in Thornaby after establishing that the larger franchises in the area were not fully meeting the local community’s needs.

Thus began a journey that encountered a number of premises problems and financial hurdles on its way to the final step of opening ‘Irene Jessop – Funeral Services’ in late March 2010.

Since then, Irene has unfortunately parted ways with her initial business partner yet has held her head high and kept going on her own; always maintaining her professional integrity even when things weren’t going as well as she would have liked.

She has worked incredibly hard in establishing her business which is now paying dividends as her feedback and reputation are second to none.

Iveson Family – Darren, Darren (Junior) and Maureen Iveson

The Iveson family are a brilliant example of the kind of Whole Family work which we believe sets Five Lamps apart from most other organisations.

Mum, Maureen

Maureen came to Five Lamps back in 2009 to accompany her husband for an appointment, at which Maureen decided that she would like to be signed up too. Through support from Five Lamps Employability Team, Maureen decided to enrol at Stockton Riverside College to carry out NCFE Level 3 in Counselling Skills. As part of her course at college she was required to gain experience from working in an appropriate environment and soon became a volunteer at Five Lamps within the Guidance team to give her the opportunity of working with clients offering advice and guidance.

Since volunteering with Five Lamps Maureen has successfully completed NCFE Level 3 in Counselling Skills and has just started working towards NVQ Level 3 in Information, Advice and Guidance. Maureen has given so much of her time to Five Lamps already supporting the community which we greatly appreciate.

Son, Darren (Junior)

Darren (junior) joined Five Lamps Foundation Learning programme (previously e2e) in March 2010. Darren had been made redundant from an apprenticeship in plumbing because the company he was working for went into liquidation.

Darren joined Five Lamps suffering with very low confidence and was feeling very depressed. Staff at Five Lamps Youthy worked with Darren to help him gain some more qualifications, getting his confidence built back up and look to progress him into a positive destination.

Darren has worked extremely hard whilst on the programme and has been inspiration to others, even if he won’t admit it himself. Darren has helped and supported other learners and has been a positive role model. One of Darren’s greatest achievements whilst on Foundation Learning was the part he played in developing 4 short films called Inside Out. Darren played a starring role in the “Down and Out” film looking at young people and homelessness. The films have been superb and have made a huge difference in the confidence levels of all the young people involved. Darren also played a key part in the showcasing of the films and even took to the stage to explain and answer questions for a large audience.

Darren has now completed his foundation Learning and is working towards his goal of becoming a plumber. Darren has just recently progressed from Foundation Learning into Middlesbrough College onto a NVQ Level 2 in plumbing.

Dad, Darren

Darren first joined Five Lamps youth services in October 2009 working in the Youthy. Darren came to us with no experience of youth work but was working with Stockton Town football club working with the juniors.

Darren wanted to work with our special needs young people and get experience of working with young people in a youth setting. Darren started volunteering as a Youth Participation Worker, working on an evening and he was working 4 nights every week from 5 till 9pm. Darren has been like a whirlwind since joining Five Lamps, his enthusiasm, work commitment, attitude and friendliness has been outstanding.

Nothing is too much trouble for Darren and he will go well beyond that extra mile in trying to help and support young people, staff and anyone else he comes across.

In March 2010 Darren gained employment through the Future Jobs Fund and is currently working on completing his NVQ Level 2 in Youth Work and Level 1 Computing course with Five Lamps,

Darren is still currently volunteering on the Five Lamps Foundation learning programme, working with young people to gain qualifications. One of the biggest impacts on young people who use our services has been the allotment project. Darren has had a huge impact upon this project and been instrumental in ensuring its success not only for the young people who attend the Foundation Learning programme but also on an evening time with young people who use the Youthy.

Darren is unique and a one off, his track record of helping people and making a difference in their lives is fantastic. Making people matter is engraved in all that Darren does and he deserves to be recognised for all that he has achieved and the positive impact he has had upon peoples lives.     

John Lowther

Seven and a half years ago, the Five Lamps management team began the process of developing a new strategy for the organisation. We recruited a genuinely world-class consultant to help us and the outcome was the emergence of the business direction that has sustained us since and remains hugely relevant as we look forward.

In true third sector form we funded the first stage ourselves and engaged a number of the leading stakeholders across the region. One of the most enthused stakeholders was John Lowther. John shared the vision and recognised that it was potentially ground-breaking in terms of public service delivery.

John’s support in identifying a potential funding source to complete the development work was a pivotal point in Five Lamps history. Without that support and John’s sustained interest in its progress, often in the face of criticism from others in our sector, we almost certainly wouldn’t be where we are today. John’s role at Tees Valley Unlimited has been very significant over the years and we feel that we could not let tonight pass without recognising his strong support and highly significant contribution to the Five Lamps story.