The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
‘Prison break’ to help raise learning centre £200,000
Disability: Fundraisers organise packed programme to boost facilities
A sponsored “prison break” is among events planned by a charity to pay for a £200,000 learning centre.
Fly Cup Catering runs a coffee shop in Inverurie which gives people with learning disabilities the chance to work and learn vital skills.
It provides training and employment opportunities to 34 adults living with Down’s Syndrome, cerebral palsy and other disabilities.
“Creation of the learning centre will make a huge impact”
The charity’s next step is to create an accessible learning centre where more employment and independent living skills can be provided.
Raising cash to pay for it is Fly Cup’s top goal for 2017 – and to do so they are organising different fundraising events, including a Prison Break Abseil and a Prison Lock In on April 23 at the old Peterhead prison.
A talent show at Inverurie’s Town Hall is also being planned.
Elizabeth Chrystall, Fly Cup director, said: “The more we get, the more we can do and the more we raise, the more we can help our service users.”
She appealed for volunteers to help with the events.
With support from nondisabled staff members, trainees at the cafe are taught how to prepare, serve and store food.
Cakes, sandwiches and hot meals are also made for local businesses.
Denise Belshaw, Fly Cup CEO, said: “People come to our coffee shop because they are served by our trainees, they get to know them, they understand what we are about, they come because of what we do.
“The creation of the learning centre will make a huge impact, not only for our trainees but for other people coming into the system.”
Trainees also gain other vital employability skills, including customer service, administration and money-handling.
Ms Belshaw said: “The ultimate aim is to get people into employment.
“There are no jobs out there so what we do is to create employment ourselves.”
As a result of the training, seven disabled people are now in employment at Fly Cup.
The charity’s chair Fiona Allan said it also helped people with disabilities to be part of the community.
Ms Allan said: “For too many years, they have been in a separate community within their community and we want to integrate them.”