Dr Altaf Hussain AM has paid a visit to the Sainsbury's branch at MacArthur Glen Retail Village near Bridgend, and has discovered that there is a lot more going on than just the sale of groceries.
Altaf met with Store Manager Darren Cooper and the store's PR Ambassador Jackie Thomas, to congratulate them on the store being awarded the 22nd annual Understanding Disability Award (Employer Category), for its work in providing employment opportunities for people with learning disabilities, The store has made it a priority to offer work chances to people with disabilities of this nature, and also to retain these staff as they become highly valued members of the store team - on the same terms as any other employee working in the store.
In addition to this award, PR Ambassador Jackie Thomas - who has spearheaded the stores efforts to widen employment opportunities - was recognised last year with the 'Local Hero' award - sponsored by Bridgend's local radio station Bridge FM, with the store's efforts in last year's Poppy Appeal also bringing recognition by the Royal British Legion. In additon, the store makes its cafeteria area available free of charge out-of-hours for community groups who wish to use it for meetings and events. These efforts have led to the branch being recognised by Head Office, with the store being declared winner of Sainsbury's Regional Community Award. The store has also been recognised for its commitment to environmental issues - it uses the most environmentally-friendly LED lights, uses an eco-friendly temperature control system, and has pledged to do all it can to increase the level of recycling.
Altaf said: "As a Regional Assembly Member I wanted to say thank you to Darren, Jackie and all the team at the store for their work within our community. Their work is an example that really should be followed by all businesses, large and small. I have shopped at this store for many years without being fully aware of all that they do behind the scenes to make Bridgend and the surrounding area a better place. Their policies with regard to employing learning-disabled staff show that the concept of disability to a huge extent a social construction, and really need not be a barrier to gainful and fulfilling employment when all parties approach the issue with the correct attitude. The work of this store really has changed the lives of the learning-disabled staff that have been employed, invested in and retained. All employers should take note - this is an example of the very best practice in action".