Five Counties gets second chamber award

By Cecilia Nasmith

For the second year in a row, Five Counties Children's Centre has walked away from the Northumberland Business Achievement Awards ceremony with honours – the 2026 Health and Wellness Award went to the agency at last week's ceremony, following their taking the 2025 Not-for-Profit of the Year Award.

“These back-to-back Business Achievement Awards are a testament to the incredible work our Five Counties staff do to continue innovating and providing evidence-based life-changing treatment services for children and youth with physical, developmental and communication needs in Northumberland County,” Five Counties Chief Executive Officer Scott Pepin said in the announcement.

“This recognition shows the level of excellence that people have come to expect and know is being delivered by our staff in Northumberland, to not only improve services but reduce wait times.”

In announcing this year's win, the Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce cited “meaningful results for children and families across our region.” It also singled out what it called the “most notable achievement” - the creation and official opening of a fully accessible and inclusive outdoor therapy and play space out of an underused area at their Cobourg site.

The result, the chamber noted, is expanded treatment options and enhanced client experience.

“At the same time, (Five Counties) responded to record demand by increasing clinical capacity, strengthening recruitment and retention, and implementing innovative service models, resulting in a measurable reduction in wait times,” the citation continued.

During the 2025 calendar year, Five Counties served 1,876 young clients and their families in Northumberland County from sites in Cobourg and Campbellford, providing such services as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech-and-language therapy.

The chamber's Business Achievement Awards are determined through a nomination process that includes interviewing nominees with key questions about their work and their role in the community. An independent panel of judges reviews the data and selects winters in each category,

“Five Counties is thankful for such strong support and recognition of the work it undertakes in the Northumberland area,” the press release stated.