Azure Charitable Enterprises Ltd is recognising a number of local businesses for their loyal support and the impact this has across the charity.
Azure’s Ambassador Awards are being presented to local businesses in special recognition of each organisation’s commitment to supporting the work of the charity.
The awards also recognise the fact that each of the recipients have chosen to support (as customers) the charity’s Landscaping & Grounds Maintenance and/or Printing & Design businesses. Azure Charitable Enterprises has recognised Miller UK as an Azure Ambassador in recognition of its support for the charity’s Landscaping and Grounds Maintenance business and its impact on Azure’s educational offer.
Miller UK’s support has enabled Azure to extend its education and training programmes which are designed to provide real opportunities for students with special educational needs or an education, health and care plan to develop their employability skills.
Dr Peter Wilson, CEO, Azure (Left), Keith Miller, Chair, Miller UK (Right) and his son Wils (Middle)
More importantly still, with the support of Miller UK and the other recipients of Azure’s Ambassador Awards that include: Anchor Hanover, Coca-Cola European Partners, Karbon Homes, and the Woodhorn Museum – Museums Northumberland; Azure are now in a position to offer (from August this year) Supported Internships at Azure which are designed to prepare Azure’s students to move into employment.
With the continuing support of their Ambassadors, Azure hope to extend their education and training offer still further, later this year, with the addition of Apprenticeships – as the charity plans to develop and extend its Garden Centre in Cramlington and, in so doing, create more employment for students and the local community. Azure Chief Executive, Dr Peter Wilson, explained: “In deciding to contract with Azure, Miller UK are not only supporting the employment of more than 270 people, 70 of whom have a disability; they are also supporting our ability to provide a suite of specialist education and training programmes for up to 40 students and our ability to provide care services to more than 180 people across Northumberland, Tyneside and Wearside each year. In addition, we also work with more than 500 people a year to find employment and smaller charities and community groups who share Azure’s determination to support people with disabilities.”
Azure and its Ambassadors understand that as local government funding is cut further and in real terms, the support provided by our Ambassadors and the general public is increasingly important to the Charity and its ability to continue to offer a broad range of care, education, employment and care services for people with disabilities. He added, “Miller UK are a huge regional success story, we love what they do and how they do it; they share our values and it’s particularly important to us here at Azure that we properly mark the contribution they, and our other Ambassadors, are making to our work across the region”.
Miller UK company founder, Keith Miller concluded: “Many people will be aware of the Azure garden centre in Cramlington but not realise it is, in fact, an important charity which helps to provide care and employment for people in the community. As an essential part of our company values here at Miller, we are committed to ‘giving something back’. We love what Azure do for the local community, so whatever we can do to help the charity’s vision become a reality the answer is yes!”
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