As part of the Five Lamps commitment to Making People Matter, we give awards every year to our customers and volunteers.

The People Matter Awards are about recognising the achievements of individuals, some who have had to overcome barriers and deal with issues that have changed their lives.

People Matter Awards 2008

Robert Aunger Bob first came to Stockton Online in 2002, computers were new to him and sadly between 2004 and 2006 Bob lost his wife and suffered two heart attacks. Bob has now completed various packages. Bob is still learning, the knowledge he has now assimilated enables him to help others, he is the perfect example of what can be achieved by dedicated effort, he is an example to others who wish to learn.

Sharon Becks Sharon was given a People Matter Award as she had to overcome huge personal issues and take decisions that not only affected her but impacted heavily upon her family. Sharon had low confidence and volunteered with the Five Lamps to gain some confidence and build up her skills, she is now in full time employment. Sharon successfully gained qualifications in ICT both at Level 1 and Level 2. The work Sharon gets involved in goes beyond her job description and she has become an integral part of a Team that supports and helps young people into employment, training or education. The relationships Sharon has been built up with these young people is excellent, nothing is too much trouble for Sharon and she will always go the extra mile in dealing with any issues that arise which may impact upon the learner’s journey.

Sandra Callen Sandra is an amazing Lady who maintains her hectic life with her 4 children as full time carer whilst attending courses at the Five Lamps. She is a truly inspirational lady with a quiet dignity. She has a wonderful refreshing sense of humour and warmth she extends to everyone. Her delight and new found pleasure in learning is heart warming and she is a wonderful role model.

Maureen Corbett Maureen completed a Basic Skills course and aged 46 learnt to read and write, which is a great achievement in itself. Having done this Maureen has greater self-confidence and now actively participates in community learning and courses that improve her skills. Maureen is currently working towards an Entry Level 3 in Food Preparation and Cooking and is really enjoying this.

Jodie Durham Jodie is an all action girl and will have a go at any new challenge, whatever personal fears need conquering. Jodie is the ultimate team player and nothing is too much trouble when it comes to helping others and taking the lead. She is an excellent role model and is polite, cheerful, trustworthy and all in all a very nice young lady. She was given a People Matter Awards so she knew how much she was appreciated and to be the centre of attention for once.

Laura Halliday Laura become a teenage mum in February 2008 and has a beautiful baby daughter called Olivia. Laura is a reliable, open, honest, independent and a real includer, supporting others in a cheerful, friendly way even with everything she has on her plate. Laura gives teenage mothers a good name and is an inspiration to other young people particularly other expectant mothers. Laura was determined to return to learning as soon as possible, so she could gain the qualifications she required to move into employment and give a better life for her daughter and herself.

Satveer Kaur Singh Satveer’s work ethic has been her drive in fulfilling her ambition to secure permanent employment. She has shown determination, enthusiasm and commitment to further her progress, attending many courses at the Five Lamps and becoming a popular member of the class and achieving her goals.

John Paul Thomas Since the age of 13, John has been in and out of prison. In 2005, he came out of Deerbolt were he was on the high offenders list. He decided he wanted to do something with his life and he contacted the Five Lamps, The Pathways Project and The Criminal Justice Intervention Team (CJIT). Initially, things did not go smoothly and he had a couple of relapses along the way with heroin and crack cocaine. John then attended the Sports Programme through CJIT and successfully completed a plastering course. With the help of Five Lamps, he has now set up in business as a plasterer. John has been drug free since 2006 and has recently been volunteering in Africa with the CJIT.

Sue Tranter Sue has volunteered as a Guidance Worker for the Five Lamps for two years. Whilst she has been with us she has completed a Level 3 Information Advice and Guidance qualification and a Level 2 counselling course and has also enrolled for her Level 3. Sue is a trusted and valued member of staff, without her we would find it difficult to manage the amount of clients we see. She carries her own caseload of clients and puts in employment and training outcomes. Sue is a fully qualified dental nurse where she works, whilst volunteering with us. On top of all of this Sue only has partial hearing.

David Ward David has been a member of The Youthy for over a year, having moved to Thornaby from Billingham. He has overcome personal barriers in his life since he has moved here and has helped The Youthy successfully gain funding from Stockton Youth Bank to update our equipment. David attended The Five Lamps e2e programme, where he quickly gained a Level 1 Maths qualification and soon gained work as a labourer before he chose to return to training at Stockton Riverside College on a pre-uniformed services course. David has had some ups and downs along the way, but he remains very focused and determined to improve his own career prospects and to help other young people within the area.

Kieran Ward Kieran is 11 and a member of The Youthy. He has shown a lot of responsibility for his age, acting as a buddy/mentor for young people who attend the Youthy Allstars, helping other young people within the climbing wall and in workshops and on activities such as camping. He is a member of the Youth Committee, ensuring that young people’s voices and opinions are heard and helping to make plans for The Youthy. When asked what he had gained from coming to The Youthy, he said being sensible and thinking about what he does. He also has developed awareness about his own safety and that of others.

David Wood David is a recovering heroin addict and since stopping using class A drugs he has successfully completed a Breaking Barriers Level 1 IT course, and is currently on an Interpersonal Skills Level 1 course at Stockton Riverside Collage. He has also completed a drugs awareness course. David would like to become a drugs support worker and is currently working with us on possible volunteering opportunities. He has not used class A drugs for 2 years and has secured accommodation in a supportive, structured environment in one of the outreach locations of the Five Lamps Inspire 2 Project. David has recently attended a meeting with a Government Minister, where he spoke directly to the Minister about his opinion on the current benefit situation in Tees Valley.

Elaine Armstrong

Elaine wanted to change careers from Retail to Administration after 13 years. We looked at courses to increase her I.T skills. Elaine did voluntary work at Five Lamps alongside commitments she already had. Due to Elaine’s motivation and commitment to her goals after 4 months she was invited to her first interview in 10 years, Elaine did fantastically and was offered the job. Elaine is now thriving in her new post.

Lisa Dowling

Lisa approached Five Lamps just before Christmas 2007, looking for advice on how she could transform her life long passion for animals into a business providing a dog grooming service in the Stockton area. Despite the significant challenges of being a widowed lone parent with a teenage son, she enthusiastically took part in a program of business training with us whilst, in parallel, developing her business plan. We helped Lisa with some grant and loan funding, which allowed her to move into premises and purchase her initial equipment. A couple of months into trading she identified an opportunity to increase her business by stocking and selling a range of dog and animal food and we helped her with an increased loan to pay for her stock. The business is growing steadily, Lisa is thoroughly enjoying the challenge and her son is playing an important part by helping out in the shop.

John Garbutt

When John came to the Five Lamps in March 2007, he was long-term unemployed and struggling to find work. Feeling very disheartened, his confidence was at an all time low. John signed up to the LGV driving, as part of the train to work project. From the very beginning John has proven himself to be reliable, committed and hardworking. He has put in a great deal of time and effort, and even though he did not pass first time, he has remained positive and determined. He is now the proud owner a Class 1 licence.

Leanne Morgan

Whilst facing immense barriers as a learner who is profoundly deaf, Leanne has shown determination, perseverance and much enthusiasm to develop her learning further and complete an Adult Literacy Course with us, enhancing her development and providing further support to her clients at Ransdale House. She is a most worthy winner.

Peter Shannon

Peter came to us in July 2007, he had been in the Police force when he was struck down by a serious virus which resulted in him being partially paralysed and medically retired from the force. He remained out of work for 3 years and began to feel that he would never work again. Peter was recruited onto the Train to Work project, where he successfully retrained to become a Class 1 HGV driver. Peter is now in employment using his license.

Chris Simons

Late in 2007, Chris got in contact with us Billingham Job Centre to see if we could help him purchase a small window cleaning round in his local area. When we met Chris and his wife Kim, he explained to us that he had a number of years experience as a window cleaner but due to a knee problem, had been unable to work for around three years. Chris told us that being unemployed had been really getting him down. Both Chris and Kim came along to our business training program, which they really enjoyed and helped to increase their confidence that setting up their own business was possible. We worked with Chris on the business plan and helped him apply for grants and loans. Just over six months into trading, Chris has expanded from an initial 40 customers to over 400 regulars, plus a number of commercial contracts. Chris was given a People Matter Award due to his hard work and attention to customer service, which has resulted in the growth of his business.