Grow Ltd win Pride of Guernsey Diversity & Inclusion Award

We were delighted to attend the Pride of Guernsey 2024 Awards as proud sponsors of the Diversity and Inclusion category. The Awards allow the community to celebrate those people or organisations who embrace diversity and inclusion and ultimately make our island a better and more inclusive place to live. This year the judges were unanimous in choosing Grow Ltd's Training Cafe as the winner because the whole organisation personifies the very meaning of diversity and inclusion. Grow have worked tirelessly over the past 40 years to make a difference to people's lives, affording real world working experiences and finding new ways (like with the new Training Cafe) to provide occupational training in a safe and stimulating environment.

We caught up with Richard Portsmouth from Grow Ltd, who is the Training Cafe's Manager & Training Development Lead, to hear what it meant to win this year's Award.

Congratulations to the Grow Ltd's Training Cafe team on winning the Pride of Guernsey Diversity and Inclusion award - can you tell us how it feels to have won?

It feels incredible to have won. We were over the moon to be nominated initially, but it all felt very real once we were sat at the Awards. Winning the award hasn't really sunk in yet but to get the recognition so early on in the cafe's opening , shows we are doing something right and that our crew are learning valuable life and occupational skills. It's not just been huge for us here at the Training Cafe but all of Grow. It's great that all of our hard work and dedication for adults with learning disabilities has been recognised, and we hope this can help to promote more people coming to Grow.

What are some of the key life skills and occupational skills that crew members learn at the cafe, and how do these skills help prepare them for the future?

When our crew come to the cafe, we assess what skills would benefit them the most, and cater to their individual needs and future aspirations. We determine if the crew member just needs some life skills, such as confidence building, communication, teamwork, time management, and decision making or we plan a pathway to employment.

We offer a varied range of occupational skills in the cafe. We offer both Front of House experience -greeting customers, serving orders, taking orders, using the till, clearing tables, cash handling, using a card machine and barista training, as well as help with personal presentation, ironing and personal hygiene. In the kitchen we teach basic knife skills, the safe use of kitchen equipment, food hygiene and safety, the importance of a clean environment, cross contamination, just to name a few.

The purpose of our training is to teach our crew the essential skills within a work place, in a safe and supported environment, which in time, may lead to purposeful and meaningful opportunities within our community, be it volunteering or seeking paid employment. For those of our crew where neither of the before mentioned are possible, we hope that some of the skills they learn in the kitchen can help them with the necessary skills to take home with them and prepare fresh and healthy meals safely.

The Training Café only opened in February, yet it’s already made a significant impact. What are your hopes and aspirations for its future?

For the future we hope that we may be able to expand our menu and increase the level of skills and training we offer in the cafe, so that our crew can leave the cafe confident in the hospitality sector and gain important occupational skills, which we hope can lead to paid employment or volunteer work within our community. Having the cafe at our new facility means that our crew can be more visible to the public, and raise awareness, but more importantly adds value to the crew who attend.

Why do you believe diversity and inclusion are so important in our community?

We strongly believe that Diversity and inclusion are equally important within the community for many reasons.  Inclusion creates an environment where people have both the feeling and reality of belonging and are able to achieve their full potential. Diversity brings together a wide range of human qualities and attributes, both visible and invisible within an organisation and community. It's key that individuals are treated respectfully and that we as a community acknowledge differing needs and expectations.

What advice would you give to others looking to enhance diversity and inclusion in their  workplaces or organisations?

I would urge any employers/organisations/charities to promote a culture where every voice is welcome, heard, and respected. When it comes to supporting diversity and inclusion in the work environment, don’t play favourites - practice basic courtesy, and pay special attention to how you can embrace non-discriminatory practices.

Employees/volunteers feel included when they feel “safe” to voice their concerns and opinions without fear of victimisation. The freedom of expression without fear also empowers companies to not just listen to but also actively embrace diverse viewpoints.

The whole event was such a wonderful experience. We are still very humbled and grateful for the award. To get such recognition in such a short amount of time of the cafe opening is amazing. A huge thank you to the judges and Insurance Corporation for sponsoring this Award.