Five Lamps are celebrating after being placed in The Sunday Times 100 Best Not-for-Profit Organisations to Work For list for the second successive year
This is a fantastic achievement for the organisation, who work hard to create possibilities and improve the lives of disadvantaged people by helping them to find work, start their own business, improve their finances and improve the aspirations of young people.
Five Lamps were placed high on the list because of their best employment practice, with staff strongly feeling that they can make a positive contribution to the charity’s success – a positive result bettered only by just three other organisations. Employees at Five Lamps, which ranks 11 for Leadership, are inspired by Graeme Oram, the Chief Executive, who scored fourth for leadership overall. Five Lamps ranked sixth overall for staff feeling excited about where the charity is going.
Graeme Oram, Chief Executive said
“Everybody at Five Lamps is absolutely thrilled at our recognition as a great place to work. We have for some time understood just how important it is to invest in the professional and social development of our staff. This result shows what we have always believed, that a positive and motivated team of committed and talented people are best placed to create possibilities and change the lives of the thousands of people each year who use our services”
Five Lamps started as Thornaby Impasse in 1985 as a response to increasing unemployment in the local areas. Since then, the organisation has grown from strength to strength and now provides services across the whole of the North East. Employing over 90 members of staff, Five Lamps was one of only a few North East companies to be feature in The Sunday Times’ list.
“In addition to our pride in continuing to be a best company to work for, we were also proud to be shortlisted for Company of the Year in the Tees Valley section of the North East Business Awards last night. We have some extremely ambitious plans moving forward and would hope to be contenders again next year”
said Graeme Oram, Chief Executive of Five Lamps
The Sunday Times Best Not-for-Profit Organisations to Work For 2012 List is published in The Sunday Times on 11 March 2012.
Five Lamps is celebrating after winning the Most Enterprising Third Sector Award at the Catalyst Annual Achievement Awards 2011 on Friday 16 September 2011
Catalyst is the strategic infrastructure body of the Third Sector in Stockton. Their role is to help the different Third Sector groups to work together for the benefit of Stockton, by bringing together their different ideas and strengths to bear on a range of strategic issues and opportunities.
Stockton Council sponsored the Most Enterprising Third Sector Award.
Five Lamps won the award due to the organisations success in:
Securing contracts to deliver public services totaling over £18million in the last 2 years
Geographic expansion into County Durham, Tyne & Wear, Northumberland and more recently, Yorkshire
Fastest-growing Community Development Finance Institution in the UK, delivering 11,000 personal loans in 2010/11
Recognised at No. 32 in the inaugural RBS SE100 Growth Index in 2011
Achieved growth across all 4 business divisions – Employability; Enterprise; Financial Inclusion and Youth Services
350% increase in turnover since 2006
Achieved Investors in People Gold, featured at No. 13 in The Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For in the Public and Charity Sector 2011
Published the organisations first set of Social Accounts in 2011
Featured in the NESTA publication ‘Twenty Catalytic Investments to Grow the Social Investment Market’; an exemplar portfolio of potential Big Society Bank investments
Working with a mainstream banking partner to develop a quoted Eurobond aimed at securing large scale social investment in the future delivery of the organisations programmes
Graeme Oram, Five Lamps Chief Executive said
“This is a deserved recognition for everyone at Five Lamps that has contributed to the growth of the organisation in the last few years. Our services now reach over 25,000 people a year across the whole of the North East and Yorkshire. We have a corporate value to help build a stronger and better Third Sector and we fully support Catalyst in their exceptionally strong work in shaping strategy and long term partnerships”.
Five Lamps were also celebrating after being shortlisted in 3 other Awards at the ceremony.
Maureen Iveson, previously a volunteer and now a paid member of staff was shortlisted for the Adult Volunteer Award. Maureen has supported 25 people into employment since she started volunteering with Five Lamps and she strives to be a champion to the role of volunteers.
Five Lamps were nominated by Working Links and shortlisted in the Partnership Award. Five Lamps have created a centre of excellence at 32 Dovecot Street. Five Lamps have taken risks bringing together the Third Sector, Public and Private sectors to work collaboratively to ensure those in need of support get the highest level of opportunity open to them.
Five Lamps and Stockton Council were both nominated by The Association of North East Councils (ANEC) for the Biggest Health Impact Award for the regional ‘Helping Hand’ scheme, which provides affordable personal loans to financially excluded homeowners to help them pay for essential repairs and improvements.
Bright sparks from Thornaby and Ingleby Barwick will get a head start with their University careers after being given a £500 PC World gift voucher.
Five students have been awarded the £500 voucher through a bursary set up in memory of the founder of an organisation which provides support services to the community. Alan Robson, who established the social enterprise Five Lamps, died aged 61 in 2009.
The bursary aims to help teenagers from Thornaby and Ingleby Barwick who are about to embark on a University degree.
The successful students were Laura Appleby, 18 who is going to Sheffield Hallam University to study Radiotherapy and Oncology, Emily Hook, who is one off to the Royal Academy of Dance to study Ballet Education, Laura Beth Walker, 18 who is going to York St Johns University to study Religious Studies and Theology, Jason Oliver, who is going to study Creative Digital Media at Teesside University and Sheril Ann Sanji, 19, who is going to Sunderland University to study Biopharmaceutical science.
Graeme Oram, Chief Executive of Five Lamps said
“Five Lamps is committed to making young people matter and supporting them with their educational attainment. Out of respect to Alan, we established the bursary in 2010 to help young people from Thornaby and Ingleby Barwick who are starting their journey to go to University. We had an overwhelming number of applications and it’s great to meet such talented young people”.
Alan set up Five Lamps over 25 years ago, under its former name Thornaby Impasse, to help the unemployed. Since then, the organisation has broadened its remit and now helps people to find work, start their own business, improve their finances and provide activities for young people.
Alan, a father of six from Thornaby had been chronically ill before he died suddenly of a heart attack. His wife Joan presented the vouchers and also sat on the interview panel to decide on the awards.
Joan said
“Now in its second year, Alan would be amazed to have seen a bursary set up in his name to help local students. He was enthusiastic about young people getting help like this. I really enjoyed meeting all of the young people”.
Laura Appleby said
“I wanted to thank the Alan Robson Bursary for my PC World vouchers. I used it to buy an ipad as I can use it to access all my student material. It will be ideal particularly when I am on placement in a hospital – much easier to take with me (especially as I am only 5 foot tall!). I have installed word on my ipad, meaning that whilst travelling on trains I can use the time to do assignments etc. The Radiotherapy books for my course are so big, however I have downloaded one of them onto my ipad – loads easier for me rather than carrying round a 600 page text book“
Laura Walker got back in touch with Five Lamps in 2012 and said
“I ended up moving from York St John University to Teesside University as I didn’t end up enjoying the course and as I was living at home anyway so Teesside was a much better option. I bought a laptop and all the lastest software to go with it so I can do all my assignments for uni. This was a great help as I got the equivalent grade overall of a First Degree for my fist year, which I was extremely pleased with. The bursary helped me out a great deal and I am still very greatful for it and it will also get me through my next two years when I need my assignments and research doing again. Thank you so much again for the bursary, I am so greatful for it and hope other students like myself will do well in uni with the help of the Alan Robson bursary”
Five Lamps are celebrating after being shortlisted by The Centre for Social Justice in their Awards 2011 and also in The Royal Bank of Scotland’s SE100 Index 2011
Centre for Social Justice
Five Lamps were represented by Sue Westerman, Five Lamps’ Head of Programmes and Mark Thompson, Five Lamps’ Employability Team Leader at the Centre for Social Justice Awards on 6 July 2011.
The Centre for Social Justice Awards recognise some of the best examples of active British citizenship, social action and commitment to community and society.
The Rt. Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP, Founder and Patron said
“Tonight we are honouring outstanding examples of local charities and voluntary groups that work with individuals and families that are blighted by extreme poverty and social isolation. These local groups are finding innovative ways to engage with people that other agencies have failed to help, and are leading their clients from a place of dependence and despair to a place of independence and resilience.”
Sue and Mark also met David Blunkett and Ian Duncan Smith who both professed their awareness of Five Lamps and our great work.
Congratulations must also go to our colleagues at Hope North East, based in Middlesbrough who were also shortlisted for their outstanding work with customers overcoming their drug and alcohol addictions.
Five Lamps were recognised as a Shortlisted Prize Winner and received £1,000 donation from a sponsor, QuestAgency. Our thanks must go to A4e who sponsored our accommodation costs in London.
We are currently consulting with staff for ideas on what we should do with the £1,000 award.
The Royal Bank of Scotland’s SE100 Index 2011
Five Lamps were shortlisted for the Impact Champion Award at The Royal Bank of Scotland’s awards presentation on 11 July 2011.
The RBS SE100 Index is it’s second year and aims to track the success of social businesses across the UK by examining both their growth and the impact that they have made.
Five Lamps were one of only 11 social enterprises out of the 409 listed to score 5/5 for impact.We are currently awaiting our position in RBS’ Growth index when the full listing is published.
The Impact Champion Award went to our good friends at The Wise Group.
Voluntary sector bosses supported Middlesbrough’s city bid when they helped to clean up the iconic Transporter Bridge.
Tees Valley Community Foundation (TVCF) called upon those who usually sit behind a desk to come down to give the Transporter Bridge some TLC. The idea behind the clean-up was to celebrate the Transporter’s centenary year as well as support the city campaign.
Hugh McGouran, chief executive of TVCF, said:
“The Transporter celebrated her 100th birthday earlier this year and she is undoubtedly the image of Teesside – so we decided, since what we do is about giving, we’d ask our colleagues from the business and voluntary sector to give some time to come and help spruce it up”
Around 10 people dedicated a morning to the clean-up, painting the railings and tidying the place from top to bottom.
One of the volunteers, Graeme Oram, Chief Executive of Five Lamps, said:
“The Transporter Bridge is so visible from almost every part of Middlesbrough and it has been a great opportunity to come down here. It would be such a boost for Middlesbrough if we were awarded city status.”
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.
Five Lamps is featured in a report ‘Twenty catalytic investments to grow the social investment market’.
The Big Society Finance Fund has supported the development of 20 pilot capital-raisings by social investment intermediaries.
The report illustrates the demand for different types of capital in the social investment market and the ways in which this demand can be presented to attract investment.
Philip Tucker has been elected to be Chair of Five Lamps
The Thornaby-based social enterprise has enjoyed a period of sustained growth in the last few years.
Mr Tucker said
“I am delighted to have the opportunity to make a considerable contribution to the ongoing success of Five Lamps. Along with my Trustee colleagues I am thrilled by our recent recognition in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work list, which builds on the Investors in People Gold award achieved in the autumn. We have a first class team of great staff who are committed to delivering high quality services which change lives throughout the North East”.
“We are looking forward to growing our sector-leading financial inclusion activities and have a range of other exciting service developments in the pipeline”.
Terry Murphy, Five Lamps previous Chair, has now left the Board. Mr Tucker said
“The Board thanks him for his contribution to the considerable progress made during his association with Five Lamps since 2004”.
On Friday 12 November 2010, Five Lamps held a Celebration Event at Tall Trees Hotel to mark the organisation’s 25 year anniversary. The event was a great success with around 250 people in attendance, including current and ex-staff, customers and organisations such as Stockton Council who work closely with Five Lamps.
Jules Preston MBE, Chairman of Assessment North East presented Five Lamps with their Investors in People Gold certificate, along with a certificate in recognition of Five Lamps as an Investors in People Champion. Five Lamps is 1 of only 91 companies that are part of the Investors in People Champion programme, a prestigious group of role model organisations.
Graeme Oram, Chief Executive said
“Who would have thought 25 years ago that Five Lamps would be receiving client referrals from high street banks to provide business Loans; providing mainstream employability services; making personal loans to financially excluded people unable to access affordable credit or financial services; delivering youth services from a purpose-built youth centre, competing for and winning contracts often against national or multinational companies; delivering services from Berwick to Scarborough, with offices in Morpeth and Newcastle on top of 4 in Stockton & Thornaby, and be number 32 in the RBS SE100 Index for Growth. Who also would have thought that the need for our services would be as great or greater, today than it was back then”.
As part of the organisation’s commitment to ‘Making People Matter’, awards were presented to nineteen people, to recognise the significant achievement they have made in overcoming a wide range of barriers, while being supported by Five Lamps.
One of the award winners was Callum Miller, who received a ‘People Matter Award’ for his determination to make his business Turbo Connect grow and succeed. Callum said
“I was speechless at receiving an award and it now takes pride of place in my living room. Five Lamps put people at the forefront in all that they do. Without the support of Five Lamps, my business would not have been able to grow to the level is has”.
Awards were also presented to other Five Lamps customers who have overcome barriers, including Ishmeal Adams and Jonathan Caldwell who despite these barriers have both now found work; Aaron Simonette who has recently joined the army and Lauren Riddle, two young people who have changed their behaviour and are both now positive role models for other young people; Sharon Rodham and Karen Hunter who have successfully set up their own catering business ‘Fillers’; Irene Jessop who’s funeral service business ‘Irene Jessop Funeral Service’ is growing from strength to strength; Louise Moore who has set up ‘Moreish Food’ a successful quality cupcake business; Letricia Heighley who has shown enormous determination to succeed; Jodie Hind, a former prolific offender who had spent 70% of his adult life behind bars and Bob Warriner, two volunteers whose voluntary work with Five Lamps has helped transform the lives of a number of customers; John Lowther and Richard Spruce who were both recognised for their contribution to the support they have given Five Lamps.
This year also saw the very first Five Lamps Family award being presented to the Iveson family – Dad Darren, Mum Maureen and son Darren (Junior). All three members of the family have been actively involved in Five Lamps, both as customers and volunteers.
Last year was a successful year for Five Lamps. They supported 171 people to start their own business, helped 315 people find work, supported over 4,500 people with personal and business loans and provided activities and services for over 500 young people.
As part of the 25 anniversary celebrations, a DVD was made which gives more detail on how the organisation has changed and grown in 25 years.
Talented young people from Thornaby were given a head start with their university careers after they were kitted out with personal computers
Six students have been awarded laptops through a bursary set up in memory of Alan Robson, who helped to established Five Lamps and who sadly passed away aged 61 last year.
The bursary aims to help teenagers from Thornaby who were about to embark on a university degree. The successful students were Abby Smith, 19, who is going to Sheffield Hallam to study physical education and youth sport, Dannielle Robinson, who is off to Leeds Metropolitan to read criminology, Laura Manser, 18, who is going to Northumbria to study fashion marketing, Sophie Ashton, 18 who will read maths and French at Newcastle University, Lukas Jaskowiec, who is studying electronic engineering and nanotechnology, and Andrew Robson, who is going to York St John University to read English literature and creative writing.
Terry Murphy, chairman of Five Lamps, said:
“Five Lamps is committed to educational attainment as a path to life long skills and learning and out of respect to Alan we decided to establish a bursary to help some of Thornaby’s kids who are starting their journey to go to university”
Alan set up Five Lamps 25 years ago; under its former name Impasse, working with churches in Thornaby, to help the unemployed. Five Lamps has since broadened its remit so it now works to help people overcome social exclusion and help them achieve their best.
Alan, a father of six from Thornaby, had been chronically ill for two years before he died suddenly of a heart attack.
His wife Joan presented the laptops and sat on the interview panel to decide on the awards. She said he would have been amazed to have seen the bursary set up in his name to help the students.
She added:
“It’s just mind blowing and I was so moved when I heard. He was enthusiastic about youngsters getting help like this.”
