Tag Archives: social enterprise

Strike a pose and the stool pic

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Through an increasingly common, though still unusual, turn of events facilitated by twitter*, I agreed to take some photos today at Turl Street Kitchen, a social enterprise cafe set up in Oxford, on the off chance they may be accepted for a piece about them in Vogue. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yes. Vogue. Stop laughing.

After a bit of a misunderstanding (I thought it was a group staff photo), I loitered there for 10 minutes this morning snapping customers, staff and space. The deadline was today, but as I was running a (slightly chaotic) focus group this afternoon, I didn’t get home till almost too late to look at the photos. There were a few quite goodish ones I hurriedly edited and sent to TSK. I got an email an hour later saying ‘lovely pics will get back to you in an hour’, then an email saying ‘they’re looking at the stool pic. Will keep you posted’.

O.M.G. They?? Vogue? Looking at my stool pic?????? Really??????

I looked at the stool pic I’d sent them. It was a bit fuzzy round the edges. I went back to the original photos. There was a much sharper photo I’d overlooked. A bit like I didn’t have enough shop vouchers at the end of the focus group earlier and wondered if I’d given someone two by mistake. It was tucked in among some paperwork. So careless.

I added the (heaps) better stool pic to my submission (is that the term?) but it was probably too late. I don’t suppose these big Vogue guns go back to look late entries. My almost hugely special-funtastic photographic moment dashed.

Finding the ‘missing’ voucher was important to the focus group participants though. Important to their sense of integrity. Much more so than a sharp photo of stools.

Vogue can wait.

*thanks to @abiccles for her thoughtful retweeting

The outing

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Today was a funny day. I went to Bristol to meet two women I’d ‘met’ through Twitter, Alexa and Kate, to visit a social enterprise scheme called Props.  It was hilarious meeting people through Twitter. Eh, who? What? Where?

I chuckled as I walked through the ticket barrier at Bristol Temple Meads, wondering whether I’d actually meet them. Especially as I had in mind we were meeting at Bristol Parkway which is so much smaller.  But there they were. Freezing and big smiles. Kind of recognisable through avatars and the odd tweeted photo.

By the time we were sort of (but not really) lost looking for the Props base somewhere in Bristol, I felt I’d known them both for years. We laughed. And connected tweet snippets from past months with shortcuts forged by the experience of having less than straightforward kids. Loveliness.

But the outing was about Props. And Dave and his crew delivered. Big time. Basically it’s a space for disabled young people to learn, work and flourish. As part of the community with a strong commercial focus. We hung out with Matthew and Jethro. Matthew was hugely impressive. He worked his socks off in an understated way. Making drinks, tidying up, keeping an eye on Jethro’s work, and demonstrating a sophisticated engagement with the tasks involved in print room work. Jethro added the comedic dimension to the visit, with hilarious one-liners and an easy engagement with everyone that I would love a dose of. They both shone.

And made us some great t-shirts.

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Wowsers, I hear you say. Social services must be chucking money at this organisation.

Of course they ain’t.

A fledgling plan

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Ok. I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. But only in short bursts. I thought if I start to document these thoughts, it may a) give me a kick up the backside to explore it more fully b) contribute to discussion/different ways of engaging with young learning disabled people and c) maybe get some tips, experiences and links.

So, LB is 18 in a few weeks. He is very funny, hard working and sensible (in an unusual way) with some serious interests around transport, recycling and justice. “Transition” so far has been pretty shite as I’ve documented. The future is not looking bright.

The facts as I’ve gleaned them (not easy); He has one more full year at school after this one. After that, he will be entitled to direct payments to create support for him.  What this means is not clear. There’s a chance of a further year at a local college to learn (more) life skills. Given that his sixth form are currently doing a cracking full on job of teaching life skills, I’m not sure that there is much point in an additional year. Well other than to occupy his time. After that, it’s day centres (shudder) or a life of being taken into town to go to the cinema, bowling or hanging out at home with a paid carer.

The fledgling plan..

To set up a small social enterprise scheme; get a loan, buy a small van, a mobile industrial shredder, employ a co-ordinator and run an odd job business. The odd jobbers. The idea is to draw on the strengths of LB and other young people and celebrate diversity/eccentricity. LB is an attention to detail kind of dude when pointed in the right direction and encouraged to stay there. Other young people I know have an infectious joy in meeting people (though not always joyful to their parents) and interacting, strength, humour, an ability to hang out cheerfully and other skills. The plan is to create a community presence where the odd jobbers become known about locally. People, and local businesses, enjoy the service they offer on a social, as well as financial, level. Driving round, collecting shredding, or bits for the dump, small deliveries and so on. Creating employment (for however many hours a week) and the associated benefits (productivity, achievement, activity, purpose, structure, pay and a social life) which is priceless.

There are enterprises that are doing similar type work across the country. I was pointed in the direction of Props who offer brilliant opportunities for young people in the Bristol area. But there are layers of hoops and bureaucracy to negotiate as local authorities interpret what direct payments can be spent on very differently. We had a taste of this when LB went on a “summer holiday” with a few other young men, funded through direct payments, only to come back with an extensive learning log. Oxfordshire county council insist learning outcomes are attached to funding. Props have had to create an accredited course for their enterprise. Choice and autonomy within a personalisation agenda? Forget it in practice.

These are early thoughts. It may be a vague, unattainable, undoable daydream. [Like my decluttering intentions..cough cough]. I’ve no idea how it could work in practice. But it feels better to think in terms of action. And involvement. Rather than just letting things pass by.