The Emily Jordan Foundation Enterprises
From the day the Foundation was set up in 2008, one of the primary intentions was to support people with moderate learning disabilities to learn the skills that they would need in order for them to be able to enter the workplace.
This is very important for this group of individuals. Many of them are perfectly able to do this, if given the opportunity. However they find this very difficult to achieve - they rarely get job interviews or offers. But, when they are paid for the work they do their self esteem goes up enormously as they have equal status to others in society.
For some years the approach taken was to encourage companies to offer a more inclusive recruitment practice which could see employment given to people with learning disabilities, but this proved difficult. All too often there was a basic agreement made for this to happen, but then nothing developed further. Nobody said no, but months went by with no action!
Frustrated by this, the Foundation decided to change their approach for helping people with learning disabilities enter and retain employment. Instead Foundation approaches individual companies for contracts to complete specific tasks, which are fulfilled by people with learning disabilities and any necessary support, who we proudly employ ourselves. The work primarily revolves around ground maintenance projects.
Our new approach has proved to be very successful. The Foundation has several work based contracts under way, where the people with learning disabilities perform operations such as mowing, strimming, leaf blowing and litter picking. They have all had the necessary training for these operations.
Also during the winter months new signs are erected, fences repaired, bird and bat boxes (built by the Woodworks project) put up, etc.
Projects such as the ground maintenance at the Finepoint Industrial estate and the Severn Trent Trimpley Reservoir site continue to work well. The Foundation is also involved with light manufacturing work and we are continuously looking to expand on these contracts, ensuring that the people with learning disabilities can earn some money for themselves.
For enquiries regarding contracts with The Emily Jordan Foundation, please call us on 01562 861154 or email enjoy@theemilyjordanfoundation.org.uk
“‘Having the Emily Jordan Trust on site has been a massive help to us. They guys cover a lot of tasks we find it difficult to do on a weekly basis like litter picking, vegetation clearance and improving habitat through the putting up of nest boxes. They act as eyes and ears on site and relay any issue back to us.
They’ve really improved the look of site and feedback has been great both with a reduction of complaints and also comments about how the site looks better than ever.’”
— Tom Crawford, Customer Delivery, Severn Trent Water
The EJF Ground Maintenance Team with a partially woven natural fence as part of the contract with Severn Trent Water.
Stakes have been put into the ground to form posts and Jez is weaving hazel 'rods' around the posts.
Fence repairing to maintain the area to a high standard.
Nick, Jez and volunteer Adrian lining up a hazel 'rod' into a rail.
Litter picking to keep the area clean for visitors at Trimpley Reservoir.
Tulips and villas supplied by Twigs, planted and cared for by the Ground Maintenance Team.