Situated right in the heart of the local community, Gifted provides a unique opportunity for people to gain skills and experience in the retail, horticulture and hospitality sectors, and participate in other vocational activities, such as arts and crafts.

Our café is a popular venue with local residents and many have built strong and positive relationships with our clients which helps them to develop their social interaction skills, customer service skills and confidence.

Many of the plants that are sold at Gifted are grown at The Stables by our day service clients, and volunteering at Gifted enables them to see the journey of the plants they grow from seeds or cuttings, into a saleable plant that finds a place to thrive in a new garden! We also sell pots, bird houses, bug hotels and other bespoke items that have been crafted by our clients at our other sites, which adds to the unique feel of the environment at Gifted.

Katie lives in one of our supported living homes, and has been an enthusiastic participant at Gifted since its inception. She has acquired various transferrable job skills, including pricing goods, maintaining the plant displays, plant care, money handling, and customer service. She also regularly serves our customers in the Gifted café and has gained valuable experience and knowledge of the hospitality sector.

Volunteer at Gifted enables our clients to experience what it is like to work in a busy retail environment, and learn valuable skills that will support them to access other similar volunteering or employment opportunities in the future, including:

• Maintaining retail displays
• Managing cash and card sales
• Reconciling income from sales
• Customer service
• Stock rotation and ordering 

Outcomes:

• Improved social interaction and inclusion
• Improved communication skills
• Better financial acumen
• Improved mental and physical wellbeing