The Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce (NCCC) named Five Counties as the winner of its 2026 Health and Wellness Award, which recognizes a business or organization that provides excellence in its work supporting physical and mental health and wellbeing for its customers or clients. This is the second straight year Five Counties has been honoured by the NCCC, as the Centre won the Not-for-Profit of the Year Award last year at these awards.
“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,” says Scott Pepin, CEO of Five Counties. “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 Five Counties as winner of the 2026 Health and Wellness Award, the Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce noted, “In the past year, Five Counties has delivered meaningful results for children and families across our region.” The chamber cited the “most notable achievement” being the creation and official opening of a fully accessible outdoor therapy and play space at the Five Counties site in Cobourg.
“Transforming an underused area into an inclusive environment expands treatment options and enhances the client experience,” the chamber noted. “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. Five Counties continues to improve access to care and deliver lasting impact for the families they serve.”
During the 2025 calendar year, Five Counties served 1,876 kids and their families in Northumberland County. Services including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech language-therapy were provided by Five Counties staff from its Centre sites in Cobourg and Campbellford, in local schools and in the community.
