MP endorses Worktaste

During a recent visit to Macclesfield Town Football Club, our MP, David Rutley, gave his strong endorsement to the Rossendale Trust’s successful WorkTaste scheme.

The Rossendale Trust provides care and support to adults with learning disabilities, enabling them to live as independently as possible. As part of its work, the Trust coordinates the WorkTaste scheme, which recruits local businesses and community projects to host short workplace opportunities for Rossendale tenants.

Those opportunities are supported by Rossendale staff, who record progress and encourage participants to consolidate and develop their skills, while also helping them to create a portfolio that can be shared with prospective hosts in future interviews. The WorkTaste scheme is funded entirely by the Rossendale Trust, and relies on the cooperation of local businesses and community projects to facilitate the work placements that are so crucial for its success. Feedback from managers, employers, organisers and work colleagues has been very positive since the scheme started two and a half years ago.

Macclesfield Town Football Club is currently hosting Adam Hipwell, a Rossendale tenant, in the Club Shop every Friday. David joined him, and members of the Rossendale team, to learn more about the scheme. During his visit, David also appeared in a short video, to be shared on social media and with prospective hosts.

Following his visit David said: “It was good to have the opportunity to meet Adam and to find out more about the WorkTaste scheme first-hand, which I am very keen to actively support. It is clear that this initiative is doing a lot to promote the personal development of Rossendale tenants, and I hope that more local businesses and organisations will give their backing to this scheme in the future to ensure that more, much-needed work placement opportunities are available.”