A local charity supporting adults with learning and physical disabilities is celebrating after winning a state-of-the-art printer.
Around 50 people from across County Durham regularly attend Options, which is based at the Pioneering Care Centre in Newton Aycliffe.
The group won the Lexmark colour laser printer, donated by digital office equipment company SOS Group Ltd, at the first North East Fundraising Conference.
Carol Gaskarth, chief executive at the Pioneering Care Partnership (PCP), was the lucky winner selected at random from a huge number of delegates.
Carol says: “PCP delivers a wide range of projects across County Durham and I instantly knew which project would benefit the most from the new printer.
“Options is our user-led service supporting adults with learning and physical disabilities and aims to encourage independence whilst improving the health and wellbeing of members.
“The printer will have positive impact on how the project runs, not only making it more efficient, but also enhancing the members’ ability to be even more creative.
“Options members are very much in control of choosing what they want to do and really enjoy crafts and organising celebration and fundraising events. For instance, they’re currently organising a Christmas awards ceremony and now they’ll be able to write letters to local businesses, print invitations and create their own fliers.
“They’re also in the process of designing and writing their own superhero comic so a high quality colour printer will be invaluable for this.”
Andrew Skelton, director at SOS Group, says: “We’re thrilled that the printer was won by PCP and the Options project. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting them a couple of times now and we’ve learned a lot about their work to improve health, wellbeing and learning for all.
“As a company, we love supporting charities in our region and we’re very proud to have been able to help.
“We can see the instant positive impact the addition of a new printer has had on the group and they were genuinely very pleased to receive it. It was up and running in no time!”
SOS Group Ltd launched in 2002 to supply digital office equipment, related software and support. It is based on the Team Valley, with an additional office in Bristol, and services ‘blue chip’ clients nationally and, increasingly, internationally.
It employs 20 staff and is equally at home providing digital office equipment in a standard business environment and within the highly-charged atmosphere of world-class sporting competitions.
The company has provided digital office equipment services at a number of high-profile sporting events this year, including the IAAF World Athletics Championships and World Para Athletics Championships in London, and the British Swimming Summer Championships and Special Olympics GB National Games in Sheffield.
For more information about PCP, please visit: www.pcp.uk.net or call 01325 321234