AN MP enjoyed visiting projects in his constituency, run by an inspirational learning disabilities charity.
Alyn and Deeside MP Mark Tami attended three of the projects run by Hft locally: Caffi Dai, Growing Places and Hwb Cyfle.
A thriving café in Deeside Enterprise Centre, Shotton, Caffi Dai is already familiar to Mr Tami and his team, as his office is in the same building. It was a great opportunity to chat with the employees at the café over lunch and to hear from Jordan Smith, Hft's head of care and support for the North, Victoria Hemmingway, head of public affairs and policy, and Erin O'Donnell, supported employment advocate about Hft's work in the constituency and further afield.
Erin O’Donnell, supported employment advocate, with MP Mark Tami.
Erin is a graduate of Hft's Project SEARCH programme which provides training, internships and finds employment for those with mild to moderate learning disabilities. She now works for Hft to highlight the benefits of providing supported employment to Project SEARCH participants to local businesses. She and her team provide ongoing support to employees and help employers in making reasonable adjustments for them.
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Next Mr Tami visited Growing Places, an oasis of calm in the middle of Rowleys Park, Shotton. Growing Places supports adults with mental health conditions to learn new skills including growing vegetables and flowers, ground maintenance, woodwork and joinery.
MP Mark Tami visits Growing Places in Shotton.
After that the MP attended Hwb Cyfle in Queensferry, a busy day centre for adults with a learning disability. Also visiting Hwb Cyfle were the current cohort of Project SEARCH interns, who had lots of questions for Mr Tami about his role in the constituency and in Westminster.
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He said: "I've had a fantastic afternoon learning more about the excellent work Hft is doing in our community.
"Those with learning disabilities and mental health conditions make up a large proportion of the population and Hft is helping to ensure that they can take an active and fulfilling role in society just as everyone deserves.
Jake and Mark Tami.
"The café employees and Project SEARCH interns were very impressive and had some excellent questions for me."
Hft says people with a learning disability make up two per cent of the population of North Wales - that's 13,000 people. Nationally, 65 per cent have said they would like to work with the right support, yet only 4.8 per cent are in paid employment.
Lucy, Lucy, Mark Tami and Erin O'Donnell.
Jordan Smith said: "With the right support, those with learning disabilities can make a really positive contribution to an organisation and I would urge local employers to contact us to discover more about working with us, or to check out our toolkit or video."
Victoria Hemmingway added: "It was brilliant to meet with Mark and introduce all the work we do in his constituency to support adults with a learning disability. We are also grateful that he has become our latest 'Voices for Our Future' parliamentary champion and we're looking forward to working with him moving forward to create positive and lasting change."
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