New charity link-up has a positive start

Two south coast charities have announced a new link-up to help people with disabilities into employment.

Minstead Trust supports over 300 people with learning disabilities along the south coast and is now collaborating with Positive Path Foundation, based in Sway, Hampshire.
Positive Path Foundation are a support and friendship service for individuals and their families living with learning and physical challenges. Many members of the group have Autism Spectrum Condition or other hidden disabilities and are ready to enter the working world and play an active role in their community.

Through this new arrangement, all members of the Positive Path Foundation that are ready for employment will be welcomed onto Minstead Trust’s employability pathway in Hampshire and in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area.

Likewise, anyone who joins Minstead Trust’s employability programmes can be signposted to Positive Path Foundation, to help improve the social and emotional wellbeing of the people we are working with.

The charities are aiming to tackle the chronically low levels of employment among people with learning disabilities, which is only 4.8% (NHS Digital 2022), and help more people like Louisa into employment.

Louisa works in one of Minstead Trust’s cafés in Portsmouth and said: ‘I have been doing events catering and baking in the café recently and helping to support other people to learn how to do this. My favourite part of working is it has made me more confident in myself. Working has made me more independent and has made my social skills a lot better.’

Jane Atkinson, Founder of Positive Path Foundation said: ‘We are delighted to be working with Minstead Trust, many of our members have hidden disabilities so do not receive social care support, so to be able to access Minstead Trust employability services is a real benefit for our members.’ Chris Hillman, Head of Employability at Minstead Trust said: ‘We are so excited about the Positive Path Foundation members joining our programmes, they are exceptional young people who will be key to the workforce of the future.

‘We are also glad to offer the social benefits of Positive Path Foundation to some of our participants, for many of them, this is their first step out of education so socialising with others on the same journey is paramount to their success.’

To find out more about Minstead Trust’s employability programmes visit
minsteadtrust.org.uk/employability