A supermarket has pledged to raise funds for the next 12 months for an employment chaity’s café hub in London’s East End as its ‘charity of the year’.
The community café in Bell Lane, Spitalfields, is now getting financial support from staff at nearby Sainsbury’s Local store.
Phoenix Blend, which is run by Vibrance social care charity, offers a community hub for people of all abilities and supported employment opportunities for adults with disabilities.
It had been “an obvious choice” for Sainsbury’s Bell Lane manager Mihir Patel when choosing a new charity.
“I’ve used the coffee shop since taking over at Bell Lane,” Mihir said. “We’ve already been involved with the charity, donating Christmas props and decorations and Sports Relief goodies.”
The café opened in 2012 providing supported employment to 850 adults in London and the South East who have learning disabilities or mental health problems, offering additional day services, low-support housing, nursing and care homes.
The organisation employs 400 people and was named in 2012 in a Sunday paper’s ‘100 Best Companies To Work For’ list. The café in Bell Lane, five minutes from Liverpool Street station, opens 8am-4pm, Monday to Friday.
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