Easter came early with two brilliant pop-up Spring Stalls hosted by adults with a learning disability, in Waterstones, Belfast and in Newry Market. OPTIO is an exciting new project helping participants develop new skills, and promotes the positive message that people with a learning disability have a lot to offer Northern Ireland.
The stall was brilliant! It was really hard work thinking about what to do and making everything. Selling all the stuff like Easter baskets and flower pots was really great! It was scary at the start, but it was good talking to people and then I met my hero Da (Tim McGarry) from Give My Head Peace, who bought a Rainbow Jar. OPTIO makes me think about what I want to do, and other things I can do. I really like helping people and want to do more caring for people.
Julie, OPTIO Participant.
There were 28 participants in total engaged with OPTIO: 11 from Orchardville TRC, a Belfast Health & Social Care Trust Day Centre and 17 from Prospects, a Newry based Day Opportunity Hub. The 28 people with a learning disability were encouraged to work together through a number of sessions delivered by ARC NI & East Belfast Enterprise, researching, budgeting, and finally planning their enterprise including making a delicious range of products to sell on their pop up Spring Stalls.
We already create greeting cards and saw OPTIO as an exciting opportunity to help the people we support think through opportunities to grow the business and identify what new products they could create. We hope the pop up stall becomes a frequent opportunity at locations across Belfast and Waterstones have really helped kick start this.
Kylie, Staff Member, Orchardville TRC
The confidence and aspiration for employment reached a fantastic high, as the participants took their products out to the public, charmed customers and put their enterprise training into practice – and it worked as both groups sold out all their stock!
OPTIO is helping participants to move beyond their current level of ideas on what they can and cannot do. As a support worker I want all the participants to continue to use the skills they’ve been developing, and to use these to find jobs or decide on further training they would like to do to help them secure work.
Ivan, Staff Member, Prospects
If you would like to know more about OPTIO, please contact Jude Pollock (tel: 028 9038 0964)