Winners of the North East VCS Awards 2011

27th May, 2011

Congratulations to Graeme Oram and Jodie Hind, winners of the North East VCS Awards 2011.

Jodie Hind won Volunteer of the Year.

Jodie is a volunteer Mentor at Five Lamps with referral links with Police, Prisons and Probation services. Jodie has achieved qualifications in Counselling and completed training in Drugs and Alcohol awareness and safeguarding.

Jodie is a former prolific offender and chaotic drug and alcohol user spending 70% of his life between 15 and 31 in institutions and Prisons. He decided to change his life prior to his last release in May 2009, enrolling on learning courses and volunteering with Five Lamps.

Jodie regularly attends sessions with offenders, helping them to challenge their former behaviour. He will track them on release to continue to mentor them in maintaining drug and offending free lifestyles. Feedback includes "It made me think about life out there. If Jodie can do it, so can I". "It was good as it shows that the bad apple can change".

Jodie is an inspiration to those he mentors and to the rest of the team around him. It is humbling to see the change in those who engage with Jodie, coupled with "it's just me doing a job" approach.

Mark Thompson, Five Lamps' Employability Team Leader deserves recognition for the support and mentoring that he has provided Jodie since he joined Five Lamps. Like Jodie, Mark is an inspiration in helping people to turn their lives around.

View Jodie's video:

Graeme Oram won Outstanding Leadership.

Graeme is described by his nominee as a 'world class leader' and lists a catalogue of successes at the helm of Five Lamps which underline his outstanding leadership. These include success in securing contracts to deliver public services, totaling over £8million in the last 15 months. Five Lamps is the fastest-growing Community Development Finance Institution in the UK, delivering 10,000 personal loans in 2010/11.

As Chief Executive he has doubled the number of staff in the last year. He has helped scope the feasibility of the 'Great North Loan Fund', now seeking to create a £10million loan fund to address financial exclusion in the North East and Cumbria and issue a prospectus for social investment later this year. Graeme recognises that debt blights the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in Stockton and is providing an effective alternative to doorstep lenders and loan sharks, along with employability support, youth services and enterprise, helping people to get out and stay out of debt.

View Graeme's video:

 

Congratulations also go to our partner organisations in Stockton:

• Thrive, winners of Most Inspiring Campaign
• Stockton Council, winners of NEEP Empowering Communities Award
• George Glass, Blind Voice UK, winner of Special Award for 'Inspiring Individual'

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