21 Young Hearts café to open in Martlesham Heath, aiming to ‘open doors’ for people with learning difficulties

Inspired by their son with Down’s syndrome, a Suffolk family is set to open a café with the aim of helping prepare young people with disabilities for work.

Stuart and Sharon Hobbs have set up 21 Young hearts CIC, which will open a venue at Unit 20, The Square, Martlesham Heath, this summer.

Their son, Kyle, has Down’s syndrome and had issues getting a job after he finished at West Suffolk College.

The café will help train people aged 18 and over learning difficulties, mental health issues or disabilities in vital employment skills, to increase their confidence and help them express themselves, the couple said.

Kyle will also work at the site, with him eventually hoping to become the manager.

Sharon said: “What we want to offer is a new pathway and open doors for those who do not have the same opportunities as others.

“Kyle has changed our lives since he was born, we’ve had to fight for things, and want him to have the same opportunities as others. He wants to be treated the same as everybody else and this is the approach we will be taking with our trainees. We’re trying to create the best place for people like him.

“Disability should never be a barrier to success.

“We’re excited and scared to get the café up and running. We’re eager and we will make this work, between us we have the skills to make it a success.”

In the lead up to the opening, Sharon and Stuart’s eldest son, Callum, will take on the Ipswich half marathon to raise funds for 21 Young Hearts.

You can donate to the fund-raiser here.

Stuart, now semi-retired, has a corporate background, working as a client executive at Atos, and will manage the café at it launch. Sharon, who works for Community Together East Anglia, will manage relationships with the community.

They are joined by Emma Pulford, a care worker of 15 years who supported Kyle, who will help train the volunteers.

To start, the café will train one or two people a a time, increasing over time, although about 20 people have expressed interest in joining. After their training, the volunteers could then go elsewhere or stay at 21 Young Hearts.

Training would include customer service, waiting tables, cleaning, making teas, coffees and snacks as well as health and safety.

Stuart said the team were clearing the site at the moment, but hoped to open in August.

As a community interest company, all profits will be put back into the café and the community.

Sharon said: “Our whole idea was to offer barista-style coffee, tea, cakes home-made sandwiches, but we have long term goals of offering afternoon tea and events.

“Training would enable them to work anywhere offering similar things, such as a restaurant, and help them push forward with their lives.”