Warrington woman with learning difficulties praised by mayor for e-learning success

A young woman from Penketh has received praise from the Mayor of Warrington after completing an e-learning course.Melissa Jones, who has learning disabilities, completed a two-week online learning programme, which led to her receiving a nationally accredited certificate in community involvement and volunteering, the Warrington Guardian reports.The 24-year-old student was supported by Warrington Community Living throughout the online training.This organisation supports adults who have learning disabilities and owns a number of care homes in the town.It is headquartered in The Gateway on Sankey Street and has been providing services for more than 20 years, helping people to lead enjoyable, healthy and purposeful lives as equal and full members of the community.The group was originally formed in 1989 and became an established charity in 1991, working alongside the borough council and primary care teams to enhance its operations for service users and commissioners.Staff at Warrington Community Living include specialists in autism, dementia, learning difficulties and physical disabilities, as well as trained mental health nurses.Currently, it has around 200 part-time and full-time employees, supporting more than 100 people in the city.As well as encouraging service users to engage in virtual learning environments, the organisation provides supported living schemes, care in the community arrangements and residential homes.Community network manager Mark Leah told the news source that Ms Jones had only learnt how to use computers in the last 12 months."She has used this newly gained skill and confidence to show how she is contributing to the community," he added.As a result of her successes with online learning, Ms Jones was given a certificate and was invited to collect it from the town's mayor, councillor Steve Wright.She went to the town hall to pick up her certificate, with the publication stating she was "given the mayoral seal of approval" for her information technology skills.