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WORK
What can be achieved when

people are seen as active citizens

It might not always be about getting into full-time paid employment.
Sometimes it’s about following your passion with those who share it.
Helen Allen of Community Catalysts and Mark Finch of Do Your Thing, explain.

ommunity Catalysts support people involvement and new friendships are circulate a flyer. They also put a shout
C to explore their passions and think being forged. One member has also joined out on Nextdoor and within a couple of
how to put these to good use – for other groups established under the weeks, local residents had donated
themselves, for others and for their Do Your Thing Project, widening his circle overalls and a local cleaning company
community. We enable people to forge of friends and local connections. donated buckets, sponges, cloths and
links with others with the same interests cleaning materials.
or aspirations, to make connections and Whilst supporting Jamie to develop his
maximise local assets. gardening group Mark also helped him All Muzamil needed now was some cars
connect with the folks at the local pub. to clean, so they made a few phone calls,
Do Your Thing in Kirklees is a Community Mark also put Jamie in touch with a local found several opportunities and decided
Catalysts co-production project funded by community café who needed help with to accept the kind offers of nearby
Kirklees Council and Greater Huddersfield their garden. Jamie is now developing a Highfields and Mencap. Spring soon
and North Kirklees Clinical Commissioning second gardening group at the café whilst arrived and with it Harrison who had
Groups (CCGs). The project is helping also working there as a volunteer. vehicle valeting experience and was keen
people with learning disabilities or those to join Dirt Busters. Muzamil had the
on the autistic spectrum to use what they On behalf of Jamie and his gardeners beginnings of a team!
are good at by setting up and running Mark put a ‘shout out’ on Nextdoor (an
social activity groups. online social network for neighbours and And so, with the foundations solidly laid,
communities) to ask for some gardening Dirt Busters tackled their first car-washing
LOCAL CONNECTIONS tools. This has led to a great connection session, precisely eight months after
Coordinator of the Do Your Thing with a busy local self-employed Muzamil and Mark first met, but not a day
project, Mark Finch, first met Jamie last gardener who would like some before they were ready. The day was a
summer, having been introduced by support to help him meet demand. roaring success and, with the help of
Real Employment in Huddersfield. Community Catalysts linked the gardener several people at Highfields, no less than
Jamie, who has learning disabilities, with Real Employment and they now 10 cars were thoroughly cleaned.
owns an allotment and loves the have an ongoing working relationship, The smile that lit up Muzamil’s face, as he
outdoors. Jamie wanted support to creating great employment or finally got to bust some dirt, was that of a
establish his own gardening group – self-employment possibilities for very proud young man indeed!
inviting people to his allotment to share Jamie and others in the future.
his considerable gardening knowledge Looking back, there were times when
and skills, whilst also making new friends. Real Employment also introduced Mark it looked like Dirt Busters wouldn’t
The group now has two members to Muzamil, who is 24 and has learning materialise, but with careful planning and
and for Jamie this is just right. disabilities, to see if he could help him dogged persistence, everything finally
Members, who both have learning explore his passion for cars and gain work came together. It was moving to see so
disabilities or autism, really love the experience on the way to his long-term many people mucking in together,
dream of finding a job. Mark chatted with making things happen, and having fun in
Muzamil and his mother and realised he the process.
would like to set up a car cleaning group.
From this came the idea of Dirt Busters Community Catalysts believes that this
and putting together a small team to offer type of approach has so much value,
car cleaning services to local people. whether or not it leads to employment or
self-employment. Highlighting people’s
It’s worth mentioning the vital importance ability not disability and ensuring they
of allowing things to run their natural are seen as active citizens leading
course. Rushing or imposing an external change, rather than passive recipients
agenda has the potential to overload of care services, has a huge impact on
people and ironically lead people us all.
right back to where they started,
feeling frustrated and disappointed. Helen Allen is Manager of Enterprise and
Community Innovation at Community
Dirt Busters helped
Muzamil achieve his long Muzamil, his Mum and Mark agreed that Catalysts and Mark Finch is Coordinator
term dream of finding a job the first step was to attract fellow Dirt of the Do Your Thing project.
Busters to work together to design and www.communitycatalysts.co.uk
18 Vol 31 No 1 | Autumn 2017 Community Living www.cl-initiatives.co.uk