Flourishing at the Beresford Street Kitchen

Image © Beresford Street Kitchen

If you happen to be wandering St Helier’s Beresford Street in Jersey, the UK, searching for a bite to eat, look no further than number 17. Here you’ll find Beresford Street Kitchen (BSK), home to a warm welcome, great coffee – and a brilliant social enterprise that’s transforming the lives of people with learning disabilities and/or autism.

According to 2021 data from the National Health Service, only 5 per cent of adults in England with learning disabilities are in paid work.6 BSK estimates that the figures in Jersey in the Channel Islands are similar.

Founded in 2017, BSK provides structured education, training, and employment programmes for people with learning disabilities and/or autism.

Upstairs from BSK’s café at 17 Beresford Street, Print Works designs mugs, T-shirts, and totes for businesses and charities. There’s also a catering function that serves family occasions and high-profile events, plus another eatery at La Hougue Bie Tearooms. These businesses pay real wages, and all profits go towards creating more opportunities for people with learning disabilities.

BSK aims to provide a solid grounding so that when they move on, they’ve got something meaningful on their CV, a whole set of skills behind them, and they’ve learned the ins and outs of having a job.

“We’ve already seen people flourishing, thinking they wouldn’t be able to do a particular job but actually finding that they are brilliant at it,” says Eleanor Christie, co-founder of BSK.

Options on Jersey for young adults with learning differences transitioning to adulthood are very limited. BSK meets this critical need by providing them with more options and nurturing their self-worth.

At BSK’s Academy, adults of all ages can access lifelong learning. Courses range from the 12-week Discover induction with high levels of support to the two-year Learning for Life programme, where trainees build their independence and progress towards employment.

The crew work alongside training mentors, professional chefs, and graphic designers. They learn skills in customer service, hospitality, catering, design, and printing.

BSK’s original plan was to provide training for eight people, but it was inundated with applications and grew rapidly to meet demand. Over 60 people currently attend its training and employment programmes, and more join every year. “BSK made me confident. When I meet people, I like telling them what I do for work,” says Rachel, a member of the crew. “My life would be boring without BSK. It feels like a real job to me, and I like earning my money.”

The mother of another crew member, Talia, agrees. “The thought of Talia finishing school was terrifying, as there are not many options out there,” she says. “BSK has been amazing and made this time a lot less stressful. For families like ours, I can’t tell you how important BSK is to us and for Talia’s future growth and development.”

Oak supports Beresford Street Kitchen through our Special Interest Programme, which provides the space and flexibility to support a diverse range of partners around the world, reflecting the interest of Oak’s Trustees.