Sadie at her bistro job in Lacemaker Court
Having never had a job in her life, Sadie was extremely anxious about entering the world of work – especially at her age. She didn’t think she had any of the skills needed to find herself a job and was lacking in confidence.
After hearing about our Disability Employment Service at her local Job Centre Plus, Sadie decided to get in touch to see if they could help.
The service had a good chat with Sadie and identified where her strengths laid. They helped her into a volunteering opportunity at our Outlook Centre in Erewash, which provides day opportunities for adults with learning disabilities.
Working in the small coffee shop, Sadie took her first steps into employment. With support from the Disability Employment team and staff at the café, she began to come out of her shell and grew into the role.
Following some encouragement from the employment team at County Hall, Sadie was supported to take part in her first ever training session.
Despite her anxieties, she passed the training with flying colours, gaining a Level 1 qualification in food hygiene.
She said:
“This was the first qualification I’ve achieved in my life and felt very proud.”
The Disability Employment team then helped Sadie to look for more voluntary catering opportunities around the county, and found her a place helping out at the Bistro in one of our community care centres – Lacemaker Court in Long Eaton.
After 3 months of volunteering, the Bistro were so impressed that they offered Sadie her first ever paid job.
She added:
“I am so proud that at 62-years-old I have managed to get a job. I never thought it would happen to me.
“This just goes to show how important it is to volunteer first!”