One of Basingstoke’s newest charity projects go under way this week.
Following months of preparation, the team behind the Café Project has started gutting out The Dome on Sullivan Road, Brighton Hill, on Monday in preparation for a £12,000 revamp.
The charity aims to change the lives of people with learning disabilities by preparing them for mainstream employment.
Overseeing the refurbishment is 48-year-old volunteer John Wright, who said he was happy things are finally under way.
The father-of-three said: “The project will be a fantastic resource and all the team are proud to be part of it.”
The project will turn the derelict Dome into a café, where food is made fresh to order.
The interior will be overhauled and a kitchen installed alongside a seating area for customers.
And behind the counters and taking orders will be people with severe learning disabilities, who would struggle to find employment elsewhere.
Mr Wright said the charity will team up with Basingstoke College of Technology’s catering department to offer staff the chance of snapping up a qualification.
He said: “This differs from other places because they get the same experience as a school, but in a supported environment.
“When people are learning disabled, they need a proper environment to work at their best.
“But in time they will be able to do it well enough to go on and find a mainstream role. They will be given a chance to shine.”
The project has won support from business and organisations across the borough.
Last month, Winchester Road-based Finch Group pledged to raise cash to donate a commercial cooker.
And bank-note printer De La Rue will donate £10,000 over three years. The company joins Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council in offering cash support.
Mr Wright said without big-hearted support from people the project would never have seen the light of day.
The scheme has a projected start-up cost of £25,000, but Mr Wright is looking to get it going with only £12,000.
He said: “We rely a lot on volunteers to keep the costs down. And people have been helpful. Plans have been drawn up and services offered for free.”
But the charity is hoping the community will give its support.
“There will be a lot of challenges to overcome,” said Mr Wright. “For example, how will learning disabled people be perceived by the people coming here? Maybe it will not be an issue, but we need to make sure they are supported and accepted.
“It will be a steep learning curve. I started as a volunteer and soon it becomes a vocation and before you know it you are putting everything into it.”
Anyone interested in volunteering should call 01256 816375.
