The Place to Bee - coming to life
Our latest project has finally come to life! Residents of Kingsthorpe now have a new place to grab their morning coffee. With the partial lifting of coronavirus restrictions on 12th April, The Place to Bee was able to open its doors for takeaway for the first time.
Their first morning was marked by a visit from Amanda Lowther, the new High Sheriff of Northamptonshire. It wasn’t long before passing shoppers were lining up behind her!
The Sweet Bee occupies part of the ground floor of The Place to Bee. It’s a good old-fashioned sweet shop with something for every occasion!
However, that’s not all that goes on at The Place to Bee. Spread over two floors this newly renovated site is also fully equipped for vocational training in retail and hospitality. This includes a fully functioning life skills flat, where young adults with learning disabilities can learn basic skills like cooking, washing clothes, and making a bed.
With all this under one roof, The Place to Bee is a truly amazing facility for setting up those with learning disabilities in the real world!
It’s also the perfect place for locals to grab their morning cuppa and satisfy their sweet tooth! They’re open Monday –Saturday from 09:30 – 15:30. Be sure to pay them a visit!
We have invested a huge amount of time and resources to help the Place To Bee time get this project off the ground, a huge thank you to everyone who has donated over the last year!
“It’s so wonderful to see the doors open for this amazing place. Everyone looked so happy to be welcoming customers for the first time, and my cakes were utterly delicious!”
Amanda Lowther, Her Majesty’s High Sheriff of Northamptonshire
Got a sweet tooth? Treat yourselves or a loved one to a sweet box from The Sweet Bee!
The Place to Bee was the inspiration of Shez Webb, who is the Executive Head Teacher of Northgate School Arts College. It builds on the success of The Bee Hive, a vocational college for 16-19 year olds with special needs. Having presided over such an amazing programme at The Bee Hive she, nonetheless, noticed a problem.
What happens to these young people after the age of 19? Learning disabilities are for life. While some may leave The Bee Hive ready for the world of work or further education, this is certainly not true for all.
Too often, they were finding that people who had done so excellently at The Bee Hive had nowhere to go afterwards.
What they were seeing on the ground was part of a broader national problem. In the UK there are 1.5 million people with learning disabilities. 94% are unemployed.
The Place To Bee is part of the solution. It is open to everyone with a learning disability, with programmes to support young adults to develop the skills they need to find employment either paid or in the voluntary sector.
“Everyone here has really pulled together to make this dream come to life. That we were able to get an entirely new site up and running through this difficult year is a huge testament to all of them”
Shez Webb, Executive Head Teacher of Northgate School Arts College
Shez has an amazing team beside her at The Place To Bee, lead by Trudi Daurie and ably assisted by Lauren Owers and Mary Clemas.
Sam and Mary get ready to welcome their first customers!
Just some of the old fashioned treats you can enjoy at The Sweet Bee!
