A golden opportunity for two with learning difficulties

Two men with learning difficulties are celebrating having their first taste of paid employment – thanks to the grounds team at Golden Sands holiday park Mablethorpe.

Thirty-eight year old Simon Heathcote and Andrew Massam, 37, are service users of Linkage Community Trust.

The Trust’s employment department initially linked up with the holiday parks General Manager, Leo Gunn, to give Simon and Andrew work experience as part of the grounds team, cutting grass, weeding, watering and trimming hedges.

The Linkage service users showed such commitment and enjoyment of the work they carried out at Golden Sands that the Grounds Manager, Peter Miller, offered them paid positions.

Simon works on Wednesday and Thursday, notching up seven hours of paid work. He lives independently in the community in his own flat and travels to work by public transport.

Andrew is paid for three-and-a-half hours work on a Thursday. His duties include weeding, watering, clearing up leaves and generally keeping the park clean. He also lives Independently in his own flat. Both men are particularly excited about earning some real money for real work.

Said Golden Sands General Manager, Leo Gunn: “Working in partnership with Linkage gives us the opportunity to invest back into the local area and support an extremely worthwhile venture.

“The relationship with the senior team at Linkage has been very positive and it is refreshing to deal with people so passionate about their work. The team that have joined us from Linkage have been a huge hit, and have definitely added to our team while, at the same time, giving them a role that they can call their own.”

The Linkage employment team is also delighted with the outcome for Simon and Andrew. Said Linkage Employment Manager, Pauline Gibson: “It is a wonderful opportunity for Simon who has come a long way since joining Linkage. Andrew has never worked outside before so we are very happy with his efforts. We would like to thank the management of Golden Sands for their support.”