To assist people with learning or mental health disabilities gain business and enterprise skills through making and selling high qual chocolate truffles.
With the changes in the benefits systems we are seeing increasingly large numbers of people with physical or mental health illness required to find employment. Often there are large skills gaps and low levels of confidence and self esteem. In the Honiton area there are over 3000 people on benefits that are being reduced.
This project bridges the gap between working and not working. It introduces people to the workplace, explains the rights and responsibility of the employee and gives practical experience in designing, making and selling a food product - high quality hand made Chocolate truffles.
The project has been trialled on a small basis and has made great changes to peoples lives:
"I relly got a buzz from this, all family will now get these for Christmas!" Anne, 25 - Learning Disability
"Because of the confidence this gave me I now have a job interview next week for the first time in two years" Oli, 28, Low self esteem.
This funding will equip a kitchen area to the commercial food standards required to produce and sell chocolates. The funding will take the project from the completed trials through to commercial production. It will purchase: Chocolate making equipment including commercial tempering and enrobing machine, stainless steel tables, market stall and covers, marketing material, food hygiene training, initial space rental and some futher customer research.
The Chocolates will be sold on Farmers markets and to local shops and hotels giving the clients valuable business skills. After the initial set up costs the poject will be self financing. The ambition is to create a local food company to give people the confidence to move forward in their lives away from benefits.