The impact of Team Domenica's programmes is best seen through the eyes of our candidates, their families and our employer partners…
When Guy joined Team Domenica in September 2024, he already had a clear goal.
He loved films and dreamed of working in a cinema.
From day one, I knew I wanted to work in a cinema
Guy
On his very first day, he introduced himself to the group and shared that ambition. Just over a year later, he began a supported internship with ODEON Brighton. Today, Guy has achieved his goal and is employed by ODEON as a paid member of the team.
His journey shows what can happen when the right opportunity meets the right support.
Building confidence
During his first year at Team Domenica, Guy quickly became known for his good manners and thoughtful nature. He was considerate of others, always took the time to ask how people were and found it easy to connect with fellow candidates through his love of music and films. As the year progressed, his confidence grew and he gained valuable experience through work placements at SCOPE, porterage at Brighton College and at Team Domenica’s Coffee Roastery.
His favourite placement was at the roastery, where he weighed coffee, filled and sealed bags ready to be sold in cafés. Guy enjoyed being part of a friendly and supportive team, while learning about workplace expectations, including wearing the right uniform and following health and safety guidance.
The skills, confidence and independence Guy developed during his first year helped prepare him to take the next step towards his goal: beginning a supported internship at ODEON Brighton.
Turning a passion into a career
In his second year with Team Domenica, Guy completed his Supported Internship at ODEON Brighton, where he quickly became a valued member of the team.
During his internship, no two days were ever the same. He cleaned cinema screens between performances, welcomed customers at the Guest Service Point, helped with deliveries, supported the popular Silver Screen mornings and completed his Food Safety qualification.
His enthusiasm for the role was clear from the very beginning.
“This job makes me proud. I get to see movies for free! I like horror and action films, and tributes to celebrities. On our staff badges we can put our favourite film. Mine is Terrifier 2.”
Throughout his internship, Guy also developed the confidence to deal with unexpected situations. Whether spotting a leaking roof and alerting colleagues or helping to run the weekly charity raffle, he learned to stay calm, take responsibility and play his part in keeping the cinema running smoothly.
Growing in confidence
Alongside learning practical skills, Guy developed the confidence that comes from belonging to a workplace.
With support from his Job Coach, Tara, he built positive routines, improved his punctuality and became increasingly independent.
Perhaps most importantly, he became a familiar face to regular customers. The experience helped Guy grow in confidence and prepared him for the next step in his career.
Every Tuesday we did Silver Screen for elderly people. I sold raffle tickets and handed out the prizes. I saw the same people every week and when they recognised me, they said, ‘Hello Guy!
Guy
A valued member of the team
Guy made such a positive impression during his internship that ODEON offered him paid employment.
His manager, Andrea, saw his confidence grow week by week.
“Guy’s been wonderful. As a guest-facing business, having employees who can communicate with customers is really important. Guy absolutely loves it here and we love having him.
We’ve put a few things in place to support Guy, but he’s picked up the ushering tasks really well. You can see he’s grown in confidence since he’s been here. It’s impossible not to smile when you see Guy smiling at you.
The value that individuals get from work is important. We want our team to be inclusive, supportive and representative of the environment we live in. Hopefully what we’re doing here will benefit other sites too.”
Andrea
Opening the door to paid employment
Today, Guy is a paid employee at ODEON, achieving the goal he shared on his very first day at Team Domenica.
His journey is a powerful reminder of why Supported Internships matter. They give young people with learning disabilities and autism the opportunity to build skills, confidence and experience in a real workplace, while giving employers the chance to discover talented people who can make a genuine contribution.
For Guy, that opportunity has become a career doing something he loves.
And it all started with one simple ambition: to work in a cinema.
