NLTG Support International Day for Disabled People

Last year staff from Remploy in Barrow in Furness and NLTG come together to celebrate the International Day for Disabled People (IDDP).  It was a morning of great success, where the hard work of all involved resulted in an enjoyable and memorable event.

 

Remploy – Globally Diverse

 

Remploy is a diverse set of businesses which operate across the UK and, in some cases, globally.  Remploy was established over 60 years ago and is now the UK’s leading employer of disabled people.  In fact, last year Remploy supported over 10,000 disabled people into work in Remploy factories and with mainstream employers.  With such a celebrated history of supporting disabled people, it is of little wonder that Remploy in Barrow wanted the IDDP to be a huge success.

 

Meet the Team – A partnership for Success

 

The staff at Remploy, Peter Ball (Interim Business Manager), Pauline Dewar (Local Remploy Manager), Jayne Greenhalgh (Team Leader) and Lovinia Williams (Health and Safety/Quality Officer), were joined by Matt Hopkinson, Lee Rimmer and Gemma Wellings from NLTG.  Also there to promote and enjoy the day were Margaret Burrows, the chairperson of the Disability Association, and John Woodcock, the Labour MP for Barrow.

 

3 Years of Achievement

 

NLTG began working with Remploy in Barrow in October 2007 on a range of qualifications, such as: manufacturing, warehousing, team leading, administration and Skills for Life.  Since then, there have been 49 achievers, 4 of which have been Apprenticeships.  The Future Jobs Fund, which ran this year, saw 9 Remploy employees on a 6 month fixed term contract achieving qualifications, including 2 Apprenticeships and Skills for Life qualifications.  Matt Hopkinson, Lee Rimmer, Gemma Wellings and Linda Downey worked really hard to ensure that these learners achieved, functioning on a 2 week rota with additional support.  There are still a number of people currently undertaking qualifications, Heather Atkinson, Liz Alldred, Ann Fisher and Kristie Packham are completing Skills for Life qualifications; Stephen Roebuck and Neal Hayton are completing manufacturing and Skills for Life qualifications and Philip Murray is completing a warehouse qualification. Learners say that the feelings of confidence gained and the high levels of support from NLTG staff are just as worthwhile as the qualifications gained. The learning environment at Remploy also adds to employee achievement, from the newly decorated resource room with computers to the encouragement and support given by the management team, all of which contributes to an environment made conducive to learning and a place of employment which is a pleasure to visit.

 

Quick Fire Round!

 

Matt gave himself the task of creating a game for the special event.  His enthusiasm was infectious and went down a treat with the Remploy employees, who soon let their competitive spirit and fantastic teamwork abilities come to light.  Employees were split into teams of 5 to answer literacy and numeracy questions.  They were given anagrams to solve which made words such as ‘ability’, ‘team’ and ‘skill’.  Everyone agreed that these were the buzz words for the day.

 

The team quickest to the buzzer won £20 each in W H Smith vouchers and were absolutely delighted, particularly with Christmas around the corner, and all agreed to treat themselves this year.  Whether they were on the winning team or not, all employees received 2 items of stationery, a calendar and NLTG goodies thanks to Jim, who kindly contributed money to help with the success of the occasion.

 

Continuing Success

 

Remploy and NLTG have enjoyed a successful partnership to date and know that, with continued commitment and hard work, many more people with disabilities will benefit from the support, guidance and opportunities made available to them by both companies.  Well done to all!