Disabled Workers' Co-operative

You may well have come across the Disabled Workers' Co-operative during the last couple of years: project manager, Neil Wood-Gaiger, has been tireless in raising awareness of their work as widely as possible.

The charity was set up with lottery funding as a forum for disabled people to advertise their skills and for employers to find qualified and motivated applicants for their vacancies.

There has been considerable debate recently - both here and elsewhere - about the rights and wrongs of positive discrimination. There is absolutely no doubt though, that many disabled people find it extremely difficult to get a job, and a service such as the Disabled Workers' Co-operative, which provides an opportunity for workers and employers to make contact, must be a useful addition to the employment market.

I have just heard from Neil that the project is in a financial crisis. Since their funding contract ended at the beginning of the year, they have kept going on their small reserves and the goodwill of the people involved - a situation that couldn't last for very long. Although they hope to obtain some European funding next year, this is not certain, and in any case they are facing financial difficulties right now.

If you feel able to help with a financial contribution, I know that it will be much appreciated and well spent. It seems a real shame that all the hard work and hopes of the last few years should go to waste.

This is a link to their website www.disabledworkers.org.uk where you can read more about their work and how to help.

If you currently have a job available, advertising it here is a great way of demonstrating your commitment to equality of opportunities. If you are disabled and would like to be more fully occupied, you can list your skills in an arena where potential clients or employers can readily find you. There are opportunities for voluntary work too, if earning is not a prerequisite.