You could almost miss it — the door leading to the basement of Caritas St Joseph’s, our lifelong learning centre for adults with intellectual disabilities. As the sounds of song, dancing feet and drums filters down from the classrooms upstairs, you’d hardly know that the Place to Grow woodwork enterprise are busy working down below.
And yet, every Friday the basement at Caritas St Joseph’s becomes a hive of activity, as Louis, Adam, Kojo, Gareth, Sam and Radek work together to bring new life to recycled wood, under the careful guidance of husband and wife, Francesco (“Frank”) and Kate Farci.
Well into its tenth year, Place to Grow has always been a family affair; the group was started by Adam’s parents, before being incorporated into the Caritas St Joseph's enterprise arm led by the centre's former lifelong learning manager, Kennett Westmacott. In 2019, Kennett invited Frank to lead the group with his daughter, and today Frank heads up the team alongside his wife, Kate; a schoolteacher whose background shines through in the steady, gentle encouragement she brings to the team.
A carpenter by trade, Frank passes on his 40 years’ expertise to his team, who are now well-versed in the various processes of their craft. The group is committed to sustainability, using donated materials to make new items or restoring furniture for resale. As he guides us around the workshop, Gareth pauses to show us some pieces they are currently work on; wooden cribs for Advent, an upcycled bookcase, and a stool that had been badly burnt and now looks ‘as good as new.’ He explains how missing parts are replaced and glued together before the wood is sanded and varnished or painted over, ready for resale.
Each member of the team has their own part to play: Gareth knows every corner of the workshop with its countless tools and machines, while Louis is in charge of keeping the space clean and tidy, and was even dubbed the “hoover expert” by Frank and Kate after he fixed the team’s broken vacuum cleaner. Adam stands out for his incredible precision, and is often tasked with crafting the more detailed components of the team’s creations.
For people with intellectual disabilities, neurotypical workplaces can be difficult to navigate. At Caritas St Joseph’s, students can share their gifts in an environment that meets and honours their unique needs, allowing them to build confidence and contribute to their communities in the way best suited to them.
In this spirit, Place to Grow is one of several social enterprises run by Caritas St Joseph’s, where students acquire new skills and gain experience that can help them into employment. The woodwork team often collaborate with the Gardening Enterprise, while upstairs students in the Soap Studio class make fragrant soaps from a range of ingredients that are then sold at fundraising events. Some students also go on to volunteer at the centre, for example at reception welcoming visitors and peers.
Kate explains: ‘it’s part of the ethos here — the dignity of work. That’s what we hear from parents; that the practical side of things can open up opportunities.’
The social aspect is important, too; the centre is founded on a strong sense of community, which includes students, their families, volunteers and staff. While elsewhere people with disabilities are more vulnerable to social isolation, Caritas St Joseph’s offers its 200+ students the opportunity to make new friends and build meaningful relationships.
Kate and Frank see this first-hand at Place to Grow, where some of the group have known each other since childhood, while others like Kojo have joined more recently and are now valued members of the team. ‘If they’ve had a good session, we’re all fist-bumping at the end,’ says Frank. ‘Kojo’s parents love it, and he’s really confident, and Sam is also really positive.’
The students aren’t the only ones whose lives have been touched by working together; reflecting on his time running Place to Grow, Frank shared:
It’s really rewarding; you’re getting something totally authentic with these guys, which is rare in life. They’re a great bunch of guys and a brilliant team. I would encourage anyone to get into this kind of work or into volunteering. I feel lucky to be here.
As per longstanding tradition, Christmas came early at Caritas St Joseph’s, which hosted its lively annual carol concert just last week. Following a succession of carols, readings, a nativity tableau acted out by students, and a homily by Bishop Paul McAleenan, guests were invited to browse an impressive selection of items for sale created by students, among which were beautiful cribs made by the woodwork group.
Browse on sale items from Caritas St Joseph’s.
Find out more about Caritas St Joseph’s here.