SCOTTISH LIFE EDUCATION CENTRE RECEIVES INTERNATIONAL AWARD

Added: (Fri Mar 01 2002)

Pressbox (Press Release) - London, 28 February 2002 - An Aberdeenshire centre, tackling the growing regional drug problem by educating children on health and life issues, will be one of only ten UK charities to be awarded £25,000 at the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) International IMPACT Awards Ceremony held in London on 28 February 2002.

Aberdeenshire Life Education Centre (ALEC), was established in 1999 and has been successfully delivering Life Education Centres drug prevention education programme to 16,000 primary school children in Aberdeenshire since February 2002. The programmes provide children with an awareness of themselves by getting to know the working of the human body, particularly how and why it’s delicate equilibrium is affected by legal and illegal substances. It also aims to provide them with the skills, knowledge and self-confidence to make healthy choices about their future.

The educational programmes are bought into the school in mobile classrooms, which are equipped with audio-visual materials and interactive models (including a talking brain). The educator delivers the programme to up to 30 children who visit the mobile classroom with their teacher. The teaching in non-judgemental and interactive.

Dr John Kinnon, Chairperson of ALEC, says: “We are delighted to have won this award in recognition of the impact we are making in the community in drug awareness education and helping children make healthy choices. The award will enable us to buy a DVD set for the classroom and fund the educator’s further training and salary.”

Angus Farquharson, O.B.E., Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire supports the work of ALEC. He says: “Aberdeenshire Life Education Centre thoroughly deserves the award, as it has made a great impact in our area. 86% of children in our county are in rural schools, this is a first class method of using an educative resource to cover their needs.”

Hamish Vernal, Director of Education for Aberdeenshire says: “Education staff, at all levels, are well aware of the menace presented by drugs abuse. We therefore, warmly welcome this initiative by Aberdeenshire Rotary Clubs to fund ALEC. The partnership between Aberdeenshire Council and Rotary is making a difference and has had a significant impact on our young people, staff, parents and the wider community.”

The International IMPACT Awards, now in their fifth year, are run by GSK in partnership with the King’s Fund, a leading independent health charity. The awards reward small-to medium-sized registered charities with a proven track record in community health care. Nine other UK charities receive £25,000 while ten highly commended projects receive £1000. The scheme is running concurrently with a sister initiative in Philadelphia, USA, which is the US headquarters of GlaxoSmithKline.

Claire Hitchcock, Director, Global Community Partnership, Europe and International, GlaxoSmithKline comments: “We are delighted to support the outstanding work undertaken by these community based UK healthcare charities. The charities have demonstrated that despite the constraints of their size they can make a dramatic difference to those in need within their community.”
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Winners’ details:
· Aberdeenshire Life Education Centre (ALEC), John Kinnon, 01224 664 883

Issued by Prowse & Co on behalf of GlaxoSmithKline

For more information please contact:
Vicki Fletcher / Deborah Fields, Prowse & Co, 01372 363386 or e-mail
vicki@prowse.co.uk or deborah@prowse.co.uk


Editor’s notes

The International IMPACT Awards play a significant part in GSK’s Global Community Programme which aims to support the company’s commitment to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.

The acronym IMPACT derives from the criteria that winners must have demonstrated: Innovation, Management, Partnership, Achievement, Community Focus and Targeting Need.

In the UK GSK has a continuing programme of charitable activities, which places special emphasis on scientific education and medical research. In addition, GSK seeks to fund initiatives for improving healthcare in the UK and supports a variety of projects in the visual and performing arts, as well as the environment.

As one of the world’s leading research based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, GSK is dedicated to delivering innovative medicines and products that help millions of people around the world live longer, healthier and happier lives.

For company information visit GlaxoSmithKline at www.gsk.com

News release is available online at http://www.prowse.co.uk/newsf.html
Photographs are available on request