Grants for employing disabled people?

flub_2

Hi All,
Hope you are well and your collective brains can help us.

We are www.werm.co.uk ; we are involved in the re-use before recycling of electrical and electronic equipment including IT equipment. By that I mean we try to keep it as a computer instead of turning it into a flower pot! We supply schools, charities, community groups here in the UK and overseas.

We have been approached by a number of councils about 'social inclusion' and the training and employment of disadvantaged adults. To me this is great; I have no problem with it at all. The problem I have is that we need new premises; the DDA compliance, ramps, lifts, disabled toilets will cost us a fortune which we cannot really afford.

Does anyone know of any grants / funding / sponsorship for a recycling / social company to help with the basics as detailed above.

Any ideas or guidance appreciated.
Many thanks and take care.

Savvy_Sue

I would start by asking your local council if they can give you advice on what to do if your premises are not disability friendly.

For some equipment, you can get funding through (I think) Access to Work. Most of my family are deaf, and portable loop systems for meetings and special phones CAN be provided this way. Although it can take a while ...

Tooticky

I see that no one has replied to your thread, so I had a nose around, there is nothing obvious as a grant for normal businesses, I honestly think that that may be because the fund is probably shared with the community building capital grant and the tourism building capital grants (call me cynical) but it very much looks as if the grants are apportioned by county councils so maybe they worth a quick call.

I also found this, have no idea how good this link is and I didn't subscribe http://www.grantnet.com/index.php By all accounts you register fill in a few details and they tell you what grants are there for your specific needs, I got the link from my councils website, so I guess they’re legit (http://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/community/funding/grantnet/default.htm)


Also business link as always have a list of grants, I couldn't find one specific to you, but again they maybe worth a call 0845 600 9 006 - http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/directory?r.s=h

I also found this, they maybe able to help also, This is for employing a disabled person and grants to permit them access I realise it's not what you asked for but they may know more about it?

http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Customers/HelpForDisabledPeople/AccesstoWork/

I know it’s not much help but I guess it’s something?

Good luck and let us know if you have any joy

Tooticky

Oops sorry Sue, you weren't there when i started my thread

Savvy_Sue

Tooticky wrote: »

Oops sorry Sue, you weren't there when i started my thread

No problem, I worked that out from the posting times, and yours was a much fuller answer than mine! Your final link helps me clarify what I said too: those grants are for employing a specific disabled person, although AFAIK the equipment then belongs to the employer rather than the employee. For that reason, and also because of the length of time it can take to get the right equipment, one of my siblings has bought their own personal loop for meetings. That way it's always available for their use, plus it's useful when we go out for family meals in noisy restaurants!