Paul is a hit with customers at busy café bar

Arighi Bianchi, a well-known local furniture business and passionate supporter of the Trust, has hosted a number of WorkTaste placements in their busy café bar over several years, so when our tenant Paul, expressed a keen interest in taking up a placement with them, they were only too happy to help out.

With one to one support from Julie, our WorkTaste Coach, Paul began working in the café on the front of house team as a waiter. A responsible job which is as much about building relationships with customers as it is serving food and drink and clearing tables, Paul excelled! 

Nick Bianchi comments: “Paul just seems to know everyone. He is so popular and engaging, our customers just love it when he is working and have even been known to time their visit to the cafe when they know he has a shift. Our staff also get a lot out of working with Paul and really enjoy it when he is with us. For us, this will be an ongoing arrangement for as long as Paul is happy working here.”

Paul’s WorkTaste Coach, Julie, adds: “Since Paul started working at the café, the interaction with other people and the development of a host of new skills, has seen his levels of confidence and independence improve dramatically. In fact, he is now so much more self-reliant, that we are working towards him being able to travel independently to and from work from his home in Macclesfield. It is so encouraging to see people like Paul, who are often excluded from workplaces because of their disability, feel part of a team and making a positive contribution to the community in which he lives.”