Awarded Grant to Deliver Innovative Recycling Project

Community Integrated Care has received a grant to assist the people they support into paid employment, from the UK’s leading waste management company, Veolia.

Community Integrated Care’s award-winning Vocational Support Service, based in Liverpool, has been presented a grant of £20,000 to provide life changing opportunities to the people they support. The grant will be used to create unique work experiences opportunities for people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health concerns, all whilst promoting the important message of recycling across Merseyside and Halton.

This month saw the launch of The Mersey Recycling and Waste Authority and Veolia Community Fund 2019/20, with the fund being key for investing in innovative projects that aim to tackle issues around recycling and waste management in the region.

Via the grant, Community Integrated Care’s Vocational Support Services’ will create long-term employment for a person supported in the Liverpool and Halton region, plus short-term employment for a further three individuals and ten further volunteer roles.

Renata Davies, Service Leader at Vocational Support Services, says, “Research shows that 65% of people with learning disabilities would like to work, but only 6% of people are in employment. We believe that this project will help to overcome that barrier and make a powerful statement about inclusive employment.”

In addition to the key work opportunities provided, the project will also create 10 innovative Community Recycling Hubs across Merseyside and Halton. These Hubs will allow the community to gain valuable information about recycling, waste management practices that can help lower greenhouse gas emissions and provide a place for recyclable goods to be dropped off.

The grant will also allow Community Integrated Care to create the first accessible recycling and waste management guide to be shared widely across the organisation, for both colleagues and the people they support, creating new practices of recycling for the charity.