WOKING-based The Useful Wood Company has been recognised at the Surrey Choices Celebrating Success Awards.
The charity, based in Goldsworth Road, won the Working in Partnership with Employers Award, an accolade for partners that work with Surrey Choices.
The Useful Wood Company’s award celebrates its commitment to creating a supportive and inclusive workplace, where it made people feel valued and welcomed while expanding their skillsets within a safe and supportive atmosphere.
It gives people who cannot access the job market at present the opportunity to gain experience of a real work environment, gaining confidence and useful skills for the future, with the help of local volunteers.
The charity provides a waste wood collection service for local building sites and recycles the wood. It sells wood for DIY and makes beautiful and useful wood products in its workshops. Any wood that cannot be used is chipped for bio-fuel.
Surrey Choices provides a range of support services which are dedicated to improving the independence, confidence and life skills of disabled people, autistic people and those with other support needs, whatever their age, in the local community.
The Celebrating Success Awards highlight the achievements of people supported by Surrey Choices.
The judging panel were impressed by how each of the winners had overcome challenges, achieved new goals and were inspired by the way they demonstrated the values at Surrey Choices.
The awards also recognised employers and organisations Surrey Choices works with in the community who have created supportive and inclusive environments, where the winners and many others have improved their skills and wellbeing.
Jerry Ratcliff, chief operating officer of Surrey Choices, said: “On behalf of Surrey Choices, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the nominees and winners of the Celebrating Success Awards 2023.
“Everyone has shown tremendous determination and resilience, and their accomplishments deserve to be recognised and celebrated.”