A Hove supported business which employs almost 30 people with disabilities has won a contract worth £70,000 a year.
Ableandwilling will supply protective clothing to the refuse, recycling and parks staff working for Brighton and Hove City Council.
About 90 per cent of Ableandwilling staff have a disability. The business, which is a living wage employer, is supported by the council and based at the Knoll Business Centre, off Old Shoreham Road in Hove.
It specialises in high-quality digital and screen print, embroidery and assembly services with support from the council’s adult social care services.
Under new contract it will supply the council’s Cityclean and City Parks services with boots, coats, trousers, pullovers, fleeces, high-visibility vests and gloves and other pieces of clothing branded with the council logo.
The council’s lead member for adult social care, Councillor Karen Barford, said: “Ableandwilling delivers high-quality services at competitive rates to a range of satisfied customers.
“In supporting people in work who might otherwise be unemployed, it is also providing a very valuable wider service to the community.
“Ethical considerations about how products are sourced and manufactured are increasingly important to consumers and therefore to businesses.
“This is a major contract that shows the confidence we have in Ableandwilling. I hope this will be a springboard to further deals with other businesses and public sector organisations.”
Richard Bradley, head of the council’s Cityclean and City Parks teams, said: “Our staff are very much in the public eye so they need to have appropriate high-quality workwear and be easily identifiable as council staff.
“We’re delighted to be doing business with Ableandwilling and thus helping people who have disabilities to access employment and gain new skills.
“But at the same time it was important that this deal hasn’t incurred extra expenses for us at a time when finances are so tight.”
