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| Kettering sweet shop worker praises Down's Syndrome fundraiser support | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Billy filled a 500g bag he called "Billy's Pouch" with 10 different sweets, including his own favourite fried eggs | Billy filled a 500g bag he called "Billy's Pouch" with 10 different sweets, including his own favourite fried eggs |
| A sweet shop worker who sold bags of treats to raise funds for the Down's Syndrome Association said he had received "awesome" support. | A sweet shop worker who sold bags of treats to raise funds for the Down's Syndrome Association said he had received "awesome" support. |
| Billy, who has Down's, told colleagues at The Shop, Kettering, Northamptonshire, he wanted make more people aware of the condition. | Billy, who has Down's, told colleagues at The Shop, Kettering, Northamptonshire, he wanted make more people aware of the condition. |
| So he created "Billy's Pouch" and filled it with his favourite sweets. | So he created "Billy's Pouch" and filled it with his favourite sweets. |
| The 28-year-old raised nearly £400 by selling about 400 bags, both in the shop and through online sales. | |
| The workers gain experience in customer service, handling money and stock control, as well as running the shop's website | The workers gain experience in customer service, handling money and stock control, as well as running the shop's website |
| The Shop offers work experience to young people with additional needs, while boosting their skills. | The Shop offers work experience to young people with additional needs, while boosting their skills. |
| Billy, who has worked there for about six months, pitched the idea during a daily staff meeting. | |
| He said it was "my special idea" to raise awareness for World Down's Syndrome Day on 21 March. | He said it was "my special idea" to raise awareness for World Down's Syndrome Day on 21 March. |
| Claire Scott, who owns the business with her partner Geoff Littlewood, said Billy's initiative had received "amazing" support. | |
| The Shop was set up by a special school in Kettering and the couple took it over when it was threatened with closure - just three months before the Covid-19 pandemic. | The Shop was set up by a special school in Kettering and the couple took it over when it was threatened with closure - just three months before the Covid-19 pandemic. |
| Claire Scott and Geoff Littlewood took over The Shop when it was at risk of closing | Claire Scott and Geoff Littlewood took over The Shop when it was at risk of closing |
| Luckily, Mr Littlewood was able to use his IT skills to move sales online, which brought in a new customer base and kept the business running while the shop was shut. | |
| Ms Scott said it had been "scary" moving from education to retail, but it meant everything to see their team thrive. | |
| "It's boosting their confidence and their communication, literacy, numeracy, IT and social skills. To see a job from start to the finish, seeing customers come in and buying the products that they've made is amazing," she said. | "It's boosting their confidence and their communication, literacy, numeracy, IT and social skills. To see a job from start to the finish, seeing customers come in and buying the products that they've made is amazing," she said. |
| "They're working as part of a team, being able to solve problems." | "They're working as part of a team, being able to solve problems." |
| For Lula, who has worked at The Shop for seven years, the skills gained means she has been recruited for a weekend job at a cafe. | |
| Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk | Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Down's syndrome | Down's syndrome |
| Kettering | Kettering |
| Fundraising | Fundraising |
| Uplifting stories | Uplifting stories |