In Britain, disabled people staff Carlisle café

From Cumberland News in the UK:

A Carlisle charity has scooped a cash windfall of more than £37,000 to train disabled staff to work at a new café.

The Heathlands Project, part of the Glenmore Trust, is due to receive a grant of £37,879 from the Northern Rock Foundation.

The money will be paid over the next three years, starting in March, towards catering training for adults with learning disabilities. They will be able to cook and serve food at a public café opening at Heathlands Farm, Harker Road Ends.

Bill Parkin, manager at the trust, said the £70,000 scheme would allow disabled people to play a bigger part in the wider community.

He said: “Opening a café run by our members is an ideal opportunity to show what people with disabilities can achieve.

“To do that, they will need all sorts of training in cashing tills and customer service, as well as support by our employed team.”

Planning permission has already been secured for the new building, which will be funded by Cumbria County Council and the charity itself. It will stand alongside a new private kitchen, built last year for project members, staff and volunteers.

He added: “There are three catchwords with our project – disability, community and sustainability – and I think this caters to all three. We’re helping ever-growing numbers of people with disabilities and our members have doubled in the last 12 months.”

Mike Borgia, who manages catering at the Heathlands Project, said the project would give service users extra confidence.

He said: “Learning about catering and running the café will help people with learning disabilities increase their level of independence. We are very grateful to the Northern Rock Foundation for all their support.”

Although catering training has been available to members for the last nine months, the grant will fund extra places and help improve quality. Mr Borgia added: “It will help us continue to grow an existing project run for and by our membership.”