A charity is helping to provide new opportunities for disabled people in Flintshire.

Abbey Upcycling was launched in December and is operated by Hft on behalf of Flintshire Council; it is a small day service where different activities take place such as woodworking, upcycling of furniture, bike servicing and electrical work.

The service works with up to 15 people per day with moderate learning disabilities to teach skills, provide a safe environment and promote independence.

The service is in collaboration with Hft’s Project Search which is a supported internship programme and allows young people with learning disabilities and/or autism to have a full academic year working onsite in a large host business.

The Leader: Abbey Upcycling is one of the services Hft Flintshire's Project Search offers in a bid to improve disabled people's employability skillsAbbey Upcycling is one of the services Hft Flintshire's Project Search offers in a bid to improve disabled people's employability skills

Jordan Smith, regional manager of Hft Flintshire said: “In Flintshire, we support roughly around 300 people with learning disabilities. We have such a range of services. Employment focus and skill building are part of our day services as we want to give people a meaningful day.”

“We get a lot of people referred to us through social services, after they leave school or college maybe they don’t really know what they want to do so we will try a few different things with them. If they want to do catering, we’d send them to Café Dai, if they want something more practical and hands on, they may come here (Abbey Upcycling).”

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“We’re very passionate about employment for people with disabilities. Nationally, only 5% of adults of working age with a learning disability have a job which is just not right. Here at Project Search, we get a 76% outcome of people getting a paid job with over 16 hours a week.”

  • The Leader: Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work paid a recent visit to Abbey Upcycling to look at the work Hft Project Search have been doing. Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work paid a recent visit to Abbey Upcycling to look at the work Hft Project Search have been doing.

In a recent visit to Abbey Upcycling, Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work, Chloe Smith was impressed by the scheme by Hft Flintshire.

She said: “It’s fantastic to see what Hft is being able to achieve here and to help disabled people get into jobs that are rewarding and fun – and exactly the kind of opportunities they should have.”