Only a Pavement Away to open 10 training cafés nationwide

Only A Pavement Away – the charity that supports people facing homelessness, prison leavers and veterans into careers within hospitality – is to launch a series of employment training cafés in spring 2022.

The cafés will be open to the public and created within mothballed sites acquired by the charity from its employer partners. They will be staffed by Only a Pavement Away members as well as an experienced management team and will allow those helped by Only a Pavement Away to receive on-the-job training.

The goal is to have an Only A Pavement Away employment training café in 10 major cities across the UK by the end of the year, helping the charity to reach its target of placing 250 people into work within the hospitality industry in 2022.

Those who staff the cafés will receive qualifications while working in a retail customer-focused environment, together with the knowledge and skills required to live independently. They will receive a salary for their roles and the intention is that they would secure permanent employment with an Only A Pavement Away employer partner during their time at the café.

Greg Mangham, founder of Only A Pavement Away, said: "This is a truly exciting start to 2022 for Only A Pavement Away and the people that we support.

"Our cafes will provide valuable training and employment opportunities for our members and will raise greater awareness of the role we play working in partnership with likeminded charities to place those facing homelessness, prison leavers and veterans into careers within the hospitality industry."

Since its launch in October 2018, Only A Pavement Away has placed 170 individuals into work and helped coordinate the distribution of over £1.6m worth of donated food and drink from the hospitality industry to those in need during the pandemic.

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