Club serves up charity cheque
Business bosses help Windmills Cafe
The Windmills Cafe in Motherwell town centre – which is committed to investing in young people with learning disabilities – has been given a £250 boost.
Lanarkshire Business Networking Club were delighted to hand the money over.
Joy Gillespie, development manager at Windmills, said: “I believe we are getting a good response from providing independent training and encouragement for young people, aged 16 to 25, in a cafe/kitchen/restaurant environment.
“We have developed awardwinning teaching resources which allow young people with learning difficulties and low literacy levels to achieve mainstream qualifications.
“These come under the wing of the Scottish Qualification Authority and the Royal Environmental Institute of Scotland.
“We are encouraging these young people to develop home dependence, be safe in the kitchen while they cook a meal for themselves and be confident to go out and order a meal for themselves.”
Windmills – billed as a ‘cafe with a conscience’ – was set up in Motherwell seven years ago, with young people attending two days per week in a venture which is two-thirds grant aided and one third selffunded.
Motherwell-born Joy, who has been manager there for a year and spoke to the networking club, added: “We are hoping that my talk to the club members will encourage local businesses to support our efforts and continue, if not expand, this project.”
Scott Duguid, chairman of The Lanarkshire Business Networking Club, said: “We are glad to make a modest contribution to support this local venture in its commendable efforts to help young people in difficult circumstances.”