How businesses and Daisy Chain can help each other in charity ’ s 20th year
CHARITY
Support – Daisy Chain CEO Neeraj Sharma is asking businesses to come on board .
How businesses and Daisy Chain can help each other in charity ’ s 20th year
Changing
WORDS : DAVE ROBSON PICTURES : DAVID WOOD perceptions
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Teesside-based charity is marking its 20th birthday with a bold new brand , a UK-first ‘ megastore ’, and an appeal for businesses to back its mission .
Offering state-of-the-art facilities and a therapeutic farm , Daisy Chain has a variety of specialist provisions and supports over 5,000 neurodivergent individuals and their families , with a specialism in autism .
Such an innovative range of services doesn ’ t come without a cost – the cost-ofliving crisis has bumped up annual running costs by around £ 200,000 . Demand is unprecedented , particularly for complex cases and adult support .
CEO Neeraj Sharma says there are many ways Teesside ’ s business community can show its support for Daisy Chain and , in turn , reap benefits of their own by bolstering their workforce .
He told Tees Business : “ Autistic children and adults are among the most marginalised groups within society . Autistic adults have the highest unemployment than any other disability group , yet our employability team has some of the best outcomes when it comes to supporting people into work .
“ This group of people have many aspirations and huge amounts of talent but are being locked out of opportunities . This shouldn ’ t be the norm – we need to address the barriers they ’ re facing .
“ In the region , we have businesses grappling with filling empty vacancies but there is a pool of talent wanting to work . At Daisy Chain , we work with the neurodivergent person and the employer to get the best outcomes , support in making the workplace inclusive , and make sure employee needs are met .”
He added : “ A lot of businesses assume that fundraising is a massive part of a relationship with a charity , but there are so many different ways you can work with us . For example , you could offer a work placement or host an industry tour .
“ We ’ re asking businesses to think differently . Support a charity in its 20th year – we have a 20th Birthday Ball on July 1 and we ’ d love local businesses to come along – but in the same vein , we can help businesses achieve their objectives too .”
Two case studies show what can happen when perceptions change : > One 14-year-old beneficiary attempted to take his own life three times and was disengaged from school . With Daisy Chain ’ s support , he obtained his qualifications and has now started an apprenticeship .
> A beneficiary struggled to access work , but after Daisy Chain arranged for him to be interviewed virtually during COVID without his camera on , he got the job and is now his firm ’ s best data analyst . “ They are just two examples of people who , potentially , wouldn ’ t have been known to an employer ,” said Neeraj .
“ Small adjustments can make a massive difference .”
Altrad Services , a company that works with Daisy Chain ’ s employability team , said : “ Having access to Daisy Chain ’ s specialist knowledge and support has allowed Altrad Services to build a successful partnership , resulting in the employment of a number of autistic / neurodivergent colleagues within our business . The commitment and professionalism of these hardworking people has made a fantastic impact on our teams .”
Diverse income streams are important to the charity , which has recently expanded its award-winning retail arm by opening a 23,000 sq ft ‘ Daisy Chain Megastore ’ on Team Valley Retail Park in Gateshead , standing shoulder to shoulder with retail giants like TK Maxx and M & S .
With sustainability high on Daisy Chain ’ s agenda , the organisation is also launching its own clothing brand , Neuthread – creating high-end apparel from unusable , donated materials and textiles , reducing carbon emissions , and saving water , energy , and chemicals , resulting in less pollution .
Neeraj said : “ Twenty years ago , we were established as a community initiative supporting autistic children and families . We ’ ve grown so much , and we continue to innovate and develop as the world changes around us , and in line with beneficiary need .
“ But if you think you know Daisy Chain , think again . Get in touch , find out how you can get involved and together we can create a world that is more inclusive and accepting for every kind of mind .”
Megastore – Inside Daisy Chain ’ s trailblazing Team Valley Retail Park store .
Visit daisychainproject . co . uk or email Neeraj . sharma @ daisychainproject . co . uk
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