EMPLOYABILITY PARTNERSHIPS IN THE COMMUNITY

Empowering people and giving them an opportunity to grow and blossom in a supportive environment is what all our employability programme and community partnerships are about.

Because of our vibrant and inclusive community, we have successfully teamed up with many local charities and community groups and services across the region that support diverse groups of people.

By partnering with The Sussex Probation Services, we offered a supportive environment for those who needed a second chance and wanted to turn their lives around.

Thanks to our collaboration with The Sussex University, we were able to provide summer internships for young students and give them an invaluable experience of working for a local charity that champions sustainability and innovation and prepares them for future careers in the third sector once they finish their course.

We run community cookery classes at our Moulsecoomb depot, as well as at some of our charity partners supporting disadvantaged groups. These give us an opportunity to raise awareness about surplus food and help people to minimise waste in their kitchens, plus inspire them to cook from scratch and repurpose leftovers.

Working together with St John’s College, we supported young people with additional needs in learning life skills and gaining confidence in the workplace, helping them on their journey towards independence. With the help of the volunteers, our current placement student is thriving, and is a much loved member of the team.

These sessions have had a wider impact than learning to cook; they have introduced the idea of volunteering and becoming involved in various grassroots projects, as well as spreading the message of sustainability and tackling inequalities even further.