Cafe hires people with Down Syndrome and pays them the national living wage

Cafe 21 is a brilliant new establishment giving young adults with Down Syndrome the chance to gain some work experience.

The cafe, in Leeds, West Yorkshire, gives workers aged between 18 and 24 opportunities to work in the kitchen and front of house, serving homemade cakes, food, hot and cold drinks, and even gifts. 

And good news – they all get paid the national living wage. Ailith Harley-Roberts, 47, helped to launch the cafe this month, following a successful trial week in March of last year.

The young people here have thrived, said Ailith. When we had the trial, it was just for a week and it felt like such a shame to have to close the doors.

Since then, the charity has sought funding to re-open and I think it is brilliant we have now been able to launch.

Cafe 21 is a permanent fixture for the next six months but Ailith and her team of helpers hope it will stay open beyond that.

One of the workers is Kathryn O’Donnell, 21, who helps to take orders, clear tables and prepare food. The staff take on a number of different roles around the cafe depending on their preference.

Ailith said she expects the young adults to thrive through working as part of a team of 14 staff and learn transferable skills for their future careers. She added:

Some of the staff want to be customer-facing, others love doing stock-taking or working in the back.

There is so much involved, they are learning a lot about customer service. I have spoken to one parent who said their son has been setting his alarm each morning and can’t wait to come into work.

That is what it is all about. The support we have had is phenomenal.

Cafe 21 is operated by the Sunshine and Smiles project which has been funded with help from charities The Seedbed Trust and The Wesleyan Foundation. It’s a parent-led charity that helps children and young people across Leeds by providing speech and language therapy, regular groups, and activities, individual support and advocacy for families. 

The charity aims to raise awareness and challenge preconceptions about Down syndrome in the wider community.
Source: Metro UK