NOW Group: our latest President's Charity

Make 2025 the Year of Diversity in your Legal Practice: Partner with NOW Group

In the UK, approximately 24% of the population—around 16 million people— identify as disabled. This includes 11% of children and 23% of working-age adults. Neurodiversity specifically encompasses conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia and is estimated to affect up to 20% of the UK population. Despite this significant representation, employment rates for neurodivergent individuals remains disproportionately low.

NOW Group, a Social Enterprise operating in Northern Ireland for over 20 years has a mission to scale the number of people with learning difficulties or neurodivergence into jobs with a future. NOW Group is widely recognised as a disruptor in the marketplace, introducing innovative solutions for its participants and businesses.

The organisation supports participants to thrive in their workplace, building partnerships with businesses that see the NOW Group place multiple people in one company and across many sectors. To date, NOW Group has made a huge difference. In the last five

years, they have supported over 7,000 people with disabilities to gain 4,600 accredited qualifications and secure 700 paid jobs. It’s this level of impact that the organisation continues to be focused on delivering across the island of Ireland.

When chosen as The Law Society’s Charity Partner of the Year for 2025, NOW’s CEO, Maeve Monaghan said “ In today’s everchanging workplace you must adapt to survive, and this sector is no different. I am here to say you don’t have to do it on your own. We are keen to work alongside law firms and help them become more inclusive and attractive to new recruits and clients. When done right, it’s not only the right thing to do, but it is also the right thing for your business. It just makes good business sense. Get in touch to find out how we can support your legal practice today.”

NOW Group’s Services Include:

• Employment Support: Providing tailored assistance to help individuals secure and sustain meaningful employment.

• JAM (Just a Minute) Card® training for Business: Sign up to JAM Card’s e-learning programme to train your staff on how to support internal staff and external customers with invisible disabilities. It only takes your staff 15-20 minutes to complete.

• Social Enterprises: Operating businesses include Loaf Catering in Belfast and Dublin and Loaf Pottery in Crawfordsburn that provide real-world work experience and opportunities.

There’s a range of ways that firms can engage with NOW Group to develop and support a more diverse workforce -

1. Inclusive recruitment that makes you stand out from the crowd: Collaborate with NOW Group to develop recruitment strategies that attract neurodiverse talent, ensuring your hiring processes are accessible and unbiased. For businesses willing to create inclusive environments, there’s a wealth of people who want to work and who can add tremendous value to workplaces.

2. Retain staff with disabilities and support them to thrive: By fostering a culture of innovation and creative problem-solving, diverse perspectives often lead to unique solutions, enhancing adaptability and competitiveness. Companies that embrace neurodiversity also improve employee retention and satisfaction while attracting top talent, broadening their customer base, and enhancing their brand reputation. Contact NOW Group to hear more about their services for existing employees with disabilities who may require additional support.

3. Sign up to become a JAM Card® Friendly Business: Engage in an e-learning programme developed by NOW Group - a simple, practical and data-driven learning experience that educates staff on how to support employees and customers with invisible disabilities like ADHD, dyslexia, and autism. The programme teaches staff about neurodiversity and promoting an inclusive workplace culture.

4. Flex your supply chain and make an impact: Add Loaf Catering or Loaf Pottery to your supply chain. It’s an excellent way to use money you are already spending on catering for meetings and corporate gifting to deliver social value.

The best time to address diversity in the workplace is NOW. Make 2025 the year your business commits to meaningful change, fostering an inclusive environment, and making diversity a strategic priority.

NOW Group is the Inclusion Partner of choice for many businesses and welcomes the opportunity to talk to organisations about collaborating together to be more inclusive, recruit and retain staff from new talent pools, and deliver social value.