January 10th 2013
Workbridge is a charity with a difference; it was set up 30 years ago to provide vocational training and experience for people with a range of mental health needs, learning disabilities and acquired brain injuries. Workbridge, which merged with St Andrew's Healthcare in 2009, offers opportunities for people to access a wide range of activities including woodwork, horticulture, catering, office skills, contracting and ceramics.
The philosophy behind Workbridge is to give people an opportunity to work as part of a team, teaching them both technical skills and, more importantly, life skills.
It provides a vocational experience pathway for their service users enabling them to recognise and achieve their full potential.
It encourages independence, respect, teamwork and trust; building skills, knowledge and self esteem in a supportive environment.
All the activities carried out by service users at Workbridge are meaningful, essential to the running of the enterprise and are overseen by a team of vocational skills instructors. The funds raised by the commercial activities assist the charity to develop and enrich the services offered to their service users and customers.
Workbridge is about getting people to try things, everyone involved gets something from the process, from the service users, with a range of needs, to the volunteers and staff team who make it all happen.
Review of Evening Helen and her colleague, Sarah were very enthusiastic ladies who work hard for the Workbridge centre . They were knowledgeable about the work that goes on and gave us interesting facts and figures about the success of the centre.
At the site on Bedford Road, Northampton, there is a coffee shop, garden centre, woodworking centre, ceramics workshop and a charity shop. £150,000 has been raised in recent years providing sewing machines for the 'service users', tools for woodworking, moulds and a kiln for ceramics, a printing machine, counter, tables and chairs for the coffee shop, irrigation system for the garden centre,and a shrink wrap machine for the packaging department.
Helen and Sarah had brought items made by the 'service users' and all were attractive and reasonably priced. Many of our members are regular visitors and others were encouraged to go and to volunteer where possible.
Competition entries for 'Object of Joy' varied from a photo of 4 very special grandchildren, miniature objects with a family history, well loved toys, family recipe book and a christening gown.