Learning Disability Today
Supporting professionals working in learning disability and autism services

Service created by students with learning disabilities caters for Westminster event

Caterering Westminster Triborough 180The ‘Young Caterers’ service created by Westminster Kingsway College LDD (Learning Disabilities and Difficulties) students has successfully catered its first event – a SEN (Special Educational Needs) Transition event, organised by the Tri-borough.

The learners, who all have learning disabilities or difficulties, are studying entry level courses, which include pathways in catering and business enterprise and have applied them together to form the Young Caterers service.

The event was held jointly at QE2 School and the Kennet West Skills Centre and targeted young people ranging from years 10 to 13. Alongside informative stands from a range of different further education/service providers from across Tri-borough, the event also included interactive taster sessions in beauty, textiles, digital media and drama.

Paul Nee, programme manager for LDD at Westminster Kingsway College, said: “Our students have worked really hard in preparation for this event, and it’s so great to see that their hard work and dedication has paid off. It has been a very successful day with high numbers coming through. It’s fantastic to see the progression of the learners going from strength to strength, as they continue to develop their employment and vocational skills, working as teams in real situations.

“This Tri-borough event has given us a chance to plug our different enterprises with both our new catering business ‘Young Caterers’, and our local market stall which have both been extremely successful; the market stall having gone from opening one day a week last year, to two days a week and the catering business taking on the servicing of all the training events at QE2 conference centre and outreach service.”

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The students catered for more than 100 people with a range of freshly prepared food that included sweet pin wheels, samosas and cakes.

After the event, one of the students, Luca Parisi, said: “Today I was in charge of making cakes, drinks and serving food at the event. Working on this type of event has not only helped me to develop my catering skills, but it has also helped to improve my communication skills.

“I have really enjoyed serving customers and working as part of a team. We were all given a clear list of tasks, which made it much easier to get the job done. I have learnt so much at the College, and catering for this event has helped me to develop my business enterprise and catering skills, which I study as part of my course.”

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