Katy’s story: Big Give 2024

Thanks to donations to our ‘Kick Start My Life’ Big Give appeal, we’ve been able to support young people like Katy to gain confidence and experience through supported volunteering.

Katy first connected with our Empowering Employment programme after taking part in Step Up for Work, a course designed to build understanding around employment and prepare people with learning disabilities for the world of work. We caught up with Katy to find out more about her role:

Can you share your journey with Empowering Employment so far?

‘I met with Abi (Employment Mentor), who helped me plan different things that I would be interested in. After that, I did some work experience at the Tenth Hole, because I was interested in what the Tenth Hole had to offer, where I gained 1 week of learning different things about cafes and waitressing. This strengthened my interest in waitressing.

After this, Abi informed me of a place called SPARK café. We visited the café and met with the team. I found it so interesting, SPARK was different, a chilled-out vibe that I felt comfortable with, it’s a friendly place, it doesn’t matter who you are, you talk, learn about people, and that made me happy. I was offered a voluntary role at SPARK, where I could learn more about the café, meeting new people, and they help me with writing, taking orders, and feeling more confident. I feel so more confident.’

What have you enjoyed the most about your role so far?

‘I’ve enjoyed having company to talk to, having time to get to know more people, it reminded me to take 1 day at a time. Abi, my Mentor visits often, and my friends and family too. I like them to see me in action, it makes me feel confident. My friend thinks it’s absolutely brilliant.

The team at SPARK are such friendly people, I enjoy every second. It doesn’t matter what happens outside of the café, as soon as you’re inside, you throw your worries outside and get talking.’

What do you hope to have achieved during your time with Empowering Employment?

‘I hope to achieve that I could use my experience to talk to other people with learning disabilities, sharing that as long as you find somewhere you are comfortable with and the people are nice, it’s a good way to start off. I was so nervous before, when I didn’t know people, I could notice my anxiety, I couldn’t work out how people spoke to others when they didn’t know them. I now know the power of talking, and it goes a long way. I want to repeat the help I’ve got and help others. I want to share the happy vibes.’

What is your favourite thing about going to SPARK?

‘I love going to SPARK. My favourite thing about volunteering is making new friends. I like meeting new people and getting to know them. SPARK is a good place for that to happen. As the back of my T-shirt says,  ‘Spark is a place where anybody who feels like a nobody can be a somebody’.’