A councillor praised a Newton Aycliffe-based charity DISC after it won a prestigious award proving it was at the “Heart of the Community” County Councillor John Clare was one of the judges at Aycliffe Business Park’s “Make Your Mark” awards at which DISC won the Heart of the Community Category.
Cllr Clare said: “As one of the judges, I was impressed by the depth and the sheer scale of the work DISC is doing with young people. And perhaps the most impressive thing of all was Lindsey Smith’s acceptance speech, in which her commitment and care were clear for all to see. The award celebrates excellence in corporate, social and ethical activity.
DISC with head offices at Horndale Avenue on Aycliffe Business Park, won the award for work undertaken by its education service which provides tailored support programmes to students, recently recognised as Grade 1 Outstanding by Ofsted.
Lindsey Smith, Senior Team Leader at the charity, said: “It was a very proud moment when the award was announced. This was the first year we have entered the Make Your Mark awards, and to be shortlisted alongside some much larger organisations was an achievement in itself; to win was simply outstanding!
DISC’s Chief Executive Officer Paul Townsley said: “Achieving the Heart of the Community Award is another affirmation of the excellent work undertaken by DISC and I congratulate everyone in the Education Services team. We’re currently speaking to several local businesses about how they can help us develop more work experience positions for our students, and we’d love to hear from any Aycliffe business that may be interested in helping.”
For more information on the Education Service at DISC, please visit http://www.disc-vol.org.uk/services/employment-training-and-education/