Since joining Team Domenica, Oskar has hit many milestones – both personally and professionally. These include: growing his skillset, building new relationships and attaining paid employment. He’s also swam at Great Lengths, volunteered in the community and appeared on ITV News Meridian! In this news piece, we’re celebrating just some of Oskar’s many achievements…

Employment success

Oskar joined Team Domenica in 2020. This meant that, in addition to starting at a new college, Oskar had to juggle ever-changing COVID-19 restrictions and re-finding his confidence after a period of uncertainty.

With the help of our Supported Employment Programme, Oskar began learning new skills in our training cafés and classroom. He also completed a variety of work placements with local businesses, helping him discover what kind of role he’d like to pursue in the future.

Oskar’s favourite part of Team Domenica was Enrichment and it was here that we saw his most significant growth. His confidence improved as he developed new friendships and built stronger ties in the Brighton community. He flourished in activities such as cricket and kickboxing, and, as his self-esteem grew, so too did his self-belief. He started to recognise his potential and see a brighter future.

In September 2022, Oskar started our Supported Internship Programme. Knowing his love for creative industries, Team Domenica’s employment team tried to find him a placement within this field. Thanks to their hard work, and Theatre Royal’s welcoming practices, Oskar soon started an internship as an usher. This experience allowed him to work with customers, demonstrate his potential and enjoy his passions. He even met a few celebrities along the way, including John Bishop and Ian McKellen!

At the end of his internship, Oskar was offered a paid position within the theatre. When asked about his time at Team Domenica, he said:

I was really anxious when I first started TD but my confidence grew. I learnt lots of new skills, learnt to be independent, and am more confident speaking out and standing up for myself. If TD didn’t exist I wouldn’t have been able to find a job, especially not at the Theatre Royal (which I love).

Volunteering and building networks

After gaining employment, Oskar became a part of our Wrap Around Programme. This provision ensures that our candidates receive ongoing and tailored guidance after they’ve attained paid work. Our Post-Internship Manager also helps our young people find additional workplace opportunities. Earlier this year, for example, Oskar was looking for voluntary work within the local community. And, with our support, he now works once a week at Scope on London Road.

Oskar is also a part of our “Wrap Around candidate committee”. This group organises termly social events so that our young people can remain connected after leaving education. In July, for example, Oskar and his peers coordinated an end of year get together that celebrated everyone’s success.

Our Wrap Around Programme is funded entirely by our community. To support this initiative click here to donate.

Great Lengths

Great Lengths is Brighton & Hove’s epic and inclusive swim challenge raising funds for Team Domenica’s employment programmes. Oskar attended the event in 2023 and his story is one of collaboration and success.

Oskar swam at Great Lengths so that he could thank the charity for helping him achieve his dreams. He also wanted to help others with learning disabilities to follow in his footsteps and attain paid work. Joining Oskar was his father, Tim, and girlfriend, Charlotte – who he met at Team Domenica! Together, they were Team Dolphin, swimming a total of 4.2km and raising over £300!

The day was great and perfectly organised. I wasn’t sure I was up to it, but the encouragement of the Team Domenica staff and volunteers bolstered me on. The organisation has been SO important in my son Oskar’s life – helping train him and get a job – and I can’t repay them enough. So raising some money by doing a challenging swim was the least we could do!

Tim, Oskar's Dad

Oskar on ITV with Brighton charity Team Domenica

At Great Lengths, Oskar enjoyed finding a new way to challenge himself. He felt bolstered by the crowd’s enthusiasm and had a lot of fun. He even got to celebrate his achievements in a recent interview with ITV Meridian where he and Charlotte discussed their time at Team Domenica and Great Lengths.

Appearing on television demonstrates how much Oskar’s confidence has grown since joining us in 2020. We are so proud of everything he’s achieved over the past four years and wish him all the best with his future.