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Press Release

Fusion Makes a Difference

Sponsoring new award for Pallion Action Group

Immediate release: 10 December 2008

Fusion Contact Centre Services in Peterlee has sponsored an award at the Pallion Action Group Annual Ball in Sunderland. The Group is made up of volunteers who are dedicated to securing funding for and manning a community resource for teenagers.

The call centre has an employee-run "Give Committee" to support local good causes, Its members chose to donate £200 to the much-deserving Pallion Action Group which was used to sponsor an award based on one of Fusion's own core values - Just Be Someone Who Makes A Difference.

Fusion Team Leader Gavin Coates, from the Fusion call centre in Peterlee, will be presenting the award at the annual ball being held to reward the teenagers tonight (Wednesday).

It is being presented to eighteen-year-old Sarah Drysdale for her inspiration and motivation in helping to secure funding for the Pallion Action Group that enabled it to open up in the evenings each week.

Sarah was one of a number of volunteers who have come from disadvantaged backgrounds facing social problems such as homelessness, domestic violence, drug/alcohol addiction and unplanned/unwanted teenage pregnancies.

Despite these personal challenges the volunteers have achieved astounding results in the past year and dedicated more than 200 hours of their own time to arrange a volunteer awareness day which was attended by over 50 outside agencies and 1,500 people.

The volunteers also wrote, produced and starred in a educational anti-bullying short film which has been produced onto DVD and has been distributed to other community organisations to raise awareness of how bullying can affect all those involved. This film won the Princess Diana Anti Bullying Award for its relevance and hard hitting subject matter.

The volunteers have also been instrumental in producing an additional dvd on knife-crime which is expected to be show-cased at the event tonight.

Fusion Team Leader Gavin Coates said: "The Pallion Action Group has produced some real success stories. They have done some great work through their projects. As a major local employer we are keen to get involved in the local community sponsoring this award for the volunteers is an excellent way to show our commitment to the region."

Karen Wood, Vinvolved Project Co-ordinator, of Pallion Action Group said: "The work these teenage volunteers do is incredible and it's very important to be able to recognise their contribution to the local community. We are extremely grateful for the support from Fusion in creating this new award to recognise someone like Sarah who really has 'made a difference' this year."