Our work wouldn’t be possible without our local community and partners. With their support, Team Domenica have created futures for more than 120 people with learning disabilities in Sussex. And, as we look forward to a new cohort of young people joining our programmes in September, we wanted to reflect on the impact of one of our most dedicated partners – OneFamily.

In 2021, OneFamily’s Brighton-based colleagues chose Team Domenica as one of their charity partners. Since this time, they’ve donated almost £30,000 through funding, colleague fundraising and their charity matching scheme! This fantastic partnership has added value to our work in so many ways. They’ve run half marathons and 10k’s, given our Training Centre a much-needed makeover, introduced us to a new employer partner, and, most recently, offered work experience placements for our candidates.

Our collaboration is in its third year and we’re still finding brilliant new ways to grow our partnership. Read on to find out how OneFamily has been going above and beyond to support us over the 12 months…

Funding café training

This year, OneFamily’s generous donation of £10,000 is supporting our young people to access training across our three cafés. Here, candidates learn everything they need to succeed in their future careers. From crafting classic coffees and perfect pastries, to delivering outstanding customer service, Café Domenica prepares candidates to confidently progress into their external work placements – including OneFamily’s very own offices!

Work experience placements

2024 has been a particularly special year for our partnership. OneFamily extended their support and now offer vital work experience for candidates on our Supported Employment Programme. Earlier this year, Nathan and Layla each spent seven weeks in the OneFamily post room, sorting the mail, stamping envelopes and learning all about what working life is like at a modern family finance company. Nathan loved it so much, that he was reluctant to leave!

I really liked it at OneFamily. I didn’t want my placement to end! The people were so nice and it was great fun working there.

Nathan, Team Domenica

Over the next academic year, Nathan and Layla will move onto their supported internships. These longer placements are a core part of our education and employment programmes, often leading to a paid role. Importantly, the skills and confidence our candidates built in our training cafés, and developed in their work experience at OneFamily, will prepare them for this next step.

Taking our partnership to even Greater Lengths

The OneFamily team recently helped us get our Great Lengths promotion off to a fly(er)-ing start! They shared event posters and flyers with local businesses in our Brighton community, spreading the word about our inclusive swimming challenge. Keep your eyes peeled for our flyers displayed in windows and shops as you walk through the city. You can also find out more about the event by clicking here.

We are so proud to be featured in OneFamily’s ‘Inspiring Better Futures’ report. Something that accurately reflects how our partnership creates mutual success. This was also celebrated at this year’s Employer Partner Celebration – an evening recognising our employers and their impact. At Team Domenica, we work closely with our partners to help businesses meet their objectives, whilst creating brighter futures for people with learning disabilities. Gemma Bellamy, Senior Marketing Executive at OneFamily said:

Team Domenica have been a charity partner of OneFamily for three years, having been voted for by our Brighton-based colleagues. Their vision to support young people to build a brighter future is closely aligned to our own.

Being able to support them in a hands-on way through colleague volunteering and fundraising has allowed us to see first-hand how our funding makes a positive impact on their candidates. They truly are a pleasure to work with, and the value our partnership provides definitely goes both ways.

A massive thank you to our OneFamily colleagues!

If you’re a business interested in similar opportunities, you can find out more about providing a work placement here, or about supporting us as through a mutually beneficial corporate partnership, here.