Thanks to First Step Trust – Ronnie, Katie, Harriet and team for the great fish ‘n’chips night and to Joiss for organising this Living Well Collaborative event. A small gathering of those who have been attending Zoom Collaborative breakfasts during the lockdown (and friends) enjoyed the tasty traditional fare at Abbevilles, home to breakfast meetings over the past 11 years.

Good to see Stephanie, SRA’s (Southside Rehabilitation Association Ltd) enigmatic CEO there, retiring after more than 25 years and Julie who has been with the organisation since Day One too, who is taking over management of the organisation.

“It was an amazing evening, the food was very good, as well as catching up with a few faces that I haven’t seen over a year…” said one attendee. But this quote from another sums up a good night.

“That was fun -oh the battered pineapple!!!”

FST Chief Executive Ronnie Wilson MBE thanks everyone who was able to attend the event for their support. “Social enterprises like Abbevilles provide access to real work experience and (as Katie will tell you) access to salaried employment for the people we at the Alliance/Collaborative want to help i.e. those people who have experienced ongoing exclusion and long term unemployment because of unconscious bias and stigma. Every meal we serve helps us fight back so that we can clear a pathway to success for everyone no matter what their background. Thank you for your help with this. Please recommend us to your friends and other organisations.” 

Karen Hooper 

Photos: Katie Ryan and Joiss Munetsi