The Pioneering Care Partnership held their Annual General Meeting on the 18th July at the Pioneering Care Centre, Newton Aycliffe. For over 18 years PCP has delivered high quality accessible projects and activities aimed at improving the health, providing access to services and reducing social isolation. As well as managing the Pioneering Care Centre (PCC) PCP delivers a wide range of projects across the North East supporting the Charity’s mission of Health, Wellbeing and Learning for All. Attendees watched a film outlining the year’s achievements and heard from Employability Pitstop service user David Whitfield and PCP Volunteer (now paid member of PCP staff) Margaret Peacock. Both of which expressed their thanks to the organisation for helping them improve their health and wellbeing. Carol Gaskarth, PCP Chief Executive, spoke about the highlights from the past year and said this coming year is already shaping up to be exciting with new challenges on the horizon. “During 2015-16 we have made significant progress with the PCC refurbishment, opening of additional sites in Durham and Redcar and mobilisation of new projects and services. Our Health Trainer services have expanded to work more closely with Adult Social Care teams providing dedicated support for older people, people with learning difficulties and their families. In Stockton the Navigation Project (SSNP) has taken on a new dimension supporting Asylum Seekers and Refugees and in Sunderland we were successful in securing the contract to deliver Patient Reference Groups for the Clinical Commissioning Group.
Many of our current activities continue to thrive with the Social Prescribing Colour your Life project and all local Healthwatch contracts being extended until March 2017. Options launched ‘Café O’ at PCC which is independently managed by the members and our befriending scheme continues to develop in the Great Aycliffe and Middridge area. Our work with local employers is also growing through our involvement in the County Durham Workplace Health Award and this will continue into 2016-17.” PCP’s Patron The Right Honourable, Lord Foster of Bishop Auckland concluded the meeting with an inspiring talk saying he was immensly proud of what PCP has achieved “There are many parts of the world in turmoil. We have become much less caring as a society and much less co-operative than before but PCP is pointing the way forward to a better society. We are here to serve one another and serve the community. There is no greater joy or sense of self-fulfilment in life than being able to serve people. It is a cure for some mental illness, certainly a cure for depressions. We all have the capacity to be a friend to someone. If we can take anything away from this meeting it should be ‘serve a bit more, and spend a bit less’.” For further information about the impact PCP has had locally and to hear about some of the key achievements, read their annual report at www. pcp.uk.net or pick one up in the Pioneering Care Centre, Carer’s Way, Newton Aycliffe, DL5 4SF Or contact PCP on 01325 321234 email: enquiries@pcp. uk.net
enquiries@pcp. uk.net
IN PHOTO:LtoR: Carol Gaskarth, Lord Derek Foster David Whitfield, Margaret Peacock and Melanie Forham.
