Pictured: Fleur Sexton (middle) receives the Commitment to the Community prize at the Midlands Family Business Awards 2011

A pioneering educational organisation in Coventry is celebrating winning a top regional award which underlines its dedication to improving the lives of young people.

Progressive Educational Tools (PET), which is based at Mercia Business Village, Torwood Close, Westwood Business Park, scooped the top prize in the Commitment to the Community category at the Midlands Family Business Awards 2011.

The company was among 30 entries for the category and the five short-listed organisations completed an hour-long interview with four judges ahead of the awards ceremony at Birmingham Town Hall.

PET, which was set up in 1995, became the first company in the UK to run intensive GCSE courses for young people on a no win, no fee basis as well as being one of the first to run multi-media courses for languages in the same year. 

The organisation focuses on working with all types of young people to help them achieve results particularly Care Leavers, Looked After Children, pupils excluded from school, those excluded from Pupil Referral Units and those referred by Local Authorities.

The organisation provides training and qualifications, particularly GCSEs, in a variety of subjects to schools, colleges, businesses and other organisations across the UK as well as creating award-winning digital applications for a world-wide audience.

Fleur Sexton, joint managing director of PET, said it was well deserved recognition for the wonderful work its trainers carry out on a daily basis.

"The judges said they had been blown away by our energy, enthusiasm and commitment to the young people we work with and there is no greater accolade than that," she said.

"I think the submission and the interview underlined how much we genuinely love what we do and take so much care and pride into every youngster that comes on one of our courses.

"Our commitment to the community is highlighted by the fact we launched the PET Foundation in 2007 to raise money for local children whether they needed a new suit to go to an interview or whatever it was they may need - the sort of role a grandparent would carry out.  We have given away around £7,000 in the last 12 months. 

"If there is one child who is failing we will do everything we can to help even if it is out of hours and we are not just here to make sure they pass the course because their welfare is very important to us which is why we take such an active interest.

"The judges also liked the fact that at PET we have sustained secure growth. The panel looked at a series of measures around governance and financial stability and despite these tricky economic times, we have maintained secure growth."