Foundation Aims

The reason for setting up this charity is that before Emily died in April 2008 she did a lot of work to help individuals whom, like her brother, had moderate learning difficulties. She did this through working with local voluntary groups and latterly Spokes CIC.

We, and many of her own friends, therefore believed it was the right thing to estabilsh a Foundation in her name. To leave a legacy to her that will last for many years into the future, helping these individuals whom have a lot to give, but very often are not given the opportunity.

The Foundation has got off to a very good start - the test will be maintaining the growth going forward.

At our first Trustee Meeting since the Charity status was confirmed, on the 29th November 2008, the aims for the Foundation were discussed in detail. The following was agreed by the Trustees:

The primary aim of the Foundation is:

To help individuals with learning or moderate physical disabilities to be able to lead good, fulfilling lives. These individuals deserve the opportunity to train for employment, or simply enjoy the social environment, ability to earn a small wage and experience the personal pride that comes with the regular routine of going to work.

This is because after leaving college, it is very difficult, if not impossible, for many individuals with learning difficulties to find permanent or casual work. Many of these individuals want to work and contribute to Society, like everyone else, however with the financial and other pressures that exist today most companies find it very difficult to offer suitable continual employment. Consequently most work offered is seasonal or not rewarding, i.e. does not help the development of the individual, in the longer term.

The Foundation aims to offer employment of this type, where individuals can come along and manufacture to a high quality level, but to their own ability level.

The immediate Future

The aims of the Foundation have been modified to a degree for the coming year, although in the longer term the aims of moving into agricultural and horticultural projects remain the same. However we want to move forward as quickly as possible and therefore for the coming year the focus is as follows:

To raise sufficient funds to be able to purchase an industrial unit of between 8 and 9,000 Sq feet, with good quality access for disabled individuals.

This unit will be used to:

1. 'Move in' Spokes CIC. Spokes is a successful social enterprise, established in Kidderminster, who’s primary purpose is to train young people with learning difficulties to enter the workplace. This is achieved by dis-assembling bicycles that have been donated by the public, cleaning and then re-assembling them. They are then offered for sale back to the public. This has proved to be successful over the past 12 months, although funding is tight. It currently generates approx. 40% of its revenue in this way and should continue to develop.
To increase it’s ‘self generated’ revenue stream Spokes is now also involved in running bike clubs on local estates and repairing bikes for local schools. These developments, as well as generating more reliable revenue, are allowing the individuals who go to Spokes to interact with their peer group in very positive ways, in the community.
Spokes would pay a rental to the Foundation appropriate to the space it would occupy. This is envisaged to be approximately 5000sq feet.

2. Create a computer training area for the individuals to be able to learn computer skills. Many of the individuals have skills that are not utilised – this operation will be designed to help develop these. Ten computers have already been sourced – but space is needed to lay them out! This operation would aim to run with help from local interested groups and Councils. Significant interest has been expressed in this development.

3. Create another new Community Interest Company that would be involved in basic woodworking skills.
The aims of this operation would be to manufacture bird boxes, hedgehog hibernation boxes, etc. Some of these boxes would also be equipped with miniature cameras for the viewing of birds laying eggs and bringing up their young - it is known that a substantial demand exists for these products, at the right price, for use by elderly or physically handicapped people.
These products would be sold from the site, over the Internet and through other social enterprises. Again this operation would pay a rental to the Foundation appropriate to the space occupied.

This amount of space would enable us to set up a good quality sales area for the sale of bikes and our other manufactured products – something that is impossible currently.

Alongside this development we believe it would be good to extend the remit of the Charity to cover individuals with physical difficulties of a moderate kind. These individuals are also often excluded from society as they find it very difficult to find employment. Many of them also have skills to help the development of others, as we have found from our own volunteer base at Spokes.

By doing the above the Foundation, which is a Charity, would have two trading arms supplying rental to it. This would enable it, over time, to grow funds to develop into its other key, longer term areas of interest and also grow into other areas of the UK.