Right in front of the Brighton Pavilion sits Team Domenica, a social enterprise charity which helps young adults with learning disabilities find and retain employment. There are approximately 1.5 million people in the UK with learning disabilities and young adults within this group are faced with less than a 6% chance of finding employment after leaving education. Over 65% of people with learning disabilities want to work, yet there is no sustainable way for them to enter the workforce. And I'm so proud that there are a number of excellent businesses in Brighton that support vocational places to the candidates here.
Under the centre itself is a cafe where candidates are able to practice their catering and social skills by serving the public. And it's a really gorgeous space too, designed in keeping with the oriental style of the Pavilion it sits near, the cafe is light, bright and modern. They serve Small Batch coffee and offer simple, fresh cafe food like filled croissants, soup, toasted panini, sandwiches and homemade cakes -along with the classic chocolate cake were some quirkier options like the courgette and poppyseed cake.
This is a brilliant alternative to the cafes around the town centre, especially if you are visiting the museums. The coffee is excellent and served by the loveliest of people. Prices are kept low (sandwiches £3, cakes £1.50 and coffee around £2) and all profits go straight back into the charity to help them do their good work. You can also get takeaway so ideal if you are freezing at the bus stops outside!
I loved meeting the candidates that were staffing the cafe that day, hearing about the places they have been working and seeing the beneficial impact it has on their lives. It makes complete sense to support this charity just by choosing to pop in for coffee.
62-63 Old Steine
Brighton
I'm also going to pay a visit to Dottie's Cafe in East Brighton Park soon. They have taken over the cricket club house cafe (it's not changed since I was a kid!) and is staffed by deaf people. They even encourage you to sign your order!
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