A disability charity helping adults to be employed can continue functioning thanks to a small grants fund.

Watford Workshop, located on Dalton Way, offers support employment, work experience and training for people with disabilities who may face barriers to regular employment.

Last year near the start of the first lockdown, the workshop, which carries out packing orders for retailers, said it was only running on "skeleton staff" after asking service users to remain at home due to the pandemic.

The charity funds skills training and a variety of life and independent living skills – including things like literacy, numeracy, hygiene, cooking, and other vital skills.

The training alone costs £360 per person, per course.

Now the charity has received £2,400 from the Mayor of Watford’s Small Grants Fund to help it continue.

Mayor Peter Taylor said: “One of the great things about my job is being able to meet so many of our wonderful community and voluntary groups that make a real difference to people’s lives including Watford Workshop.

“The charity helps develop their service user’s skills, confidence, self-esteem and gives them a life which they and their families would not have thought possible before coming to Watford Workshop, so I’m very happy we could provide funding for their ongoing costs.”

Ronnie Jacob, Finance Trustee, Watford Workshop said “The impact of the council’s grant was significant. It has helped maintain stability at a time when the charity’s expenditure has been exceeding its income by a considerable amount, allowing us to remain open, support our service users both remotely and on the premises, and thereby alleviate many of the issues that Covid-19 and lockdown caused for them.

“Watford Workshop believes that their measure of success is the impact they have on their people’s lives and we give disabilities an opportunity to work, gain independence, confidence, dignity and respect - all the things that abled bodied adults take for granted. Thanks to funding from the Mayor’s Small Grant Fund, we can continue to do this.”

Watford workshop requires help whether it is hand packing contracts, donations, fundraising and volunteers.

To help the Workshop, contact 01923 220 256 or visit watfordworkshop.co.uk/contact.