Linkage Community Trust has been named as charity of the year for 2015-16 for one of the best-known names in retail in North East Lincolnshire, the Freshney Place Shopping Centre in Grimsby.
It comes during the period when Linkage marks its 40th anniversary, supporting people with learning disabilities from across wider Lincolnshire. Freshney Place will now put a programme of support together to help raise both funds and the profile of Linkage during the next 12 months, starting on Tuesday 1st April.
Centre Director Amanda Austin says: “This is such good timing for our partnership with Linkage, which has proved such an enduring support for people with learning difficulties over four decades, not least of all with its services in the Grimsby area. I’m sure our loyal customers will support Linkage as much as they can.”
Linkage was launched in 1976 when parents and professionals came together to fill the void created once pupils left special school in Lincolnshire.
Linkage Chief Executive Ges Roulstone says: “This is terrific news for Linkage, especially in the Grimsby area as our big year approaches. A lot of our clients who use to Linkage services will be local people so they and their families will be very familiar with Freshney Place.”
Full details of the activities for the charity of the year will be announced in due course.