First opening its doors in 1989, Camberwell-based charity Toucan Employment is the UK’s longest-running supported employment charity for people with learning difficulties/disabilities and autism. The Toucan team actively support people into sustainable employment with a raft of essential workplace programmes, a mission that’s become more important than ever with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. Last month they were drawn as one of the 10 winners in our eBay sponsored Big Giveaway competition, so we spoke to CEO Alex Margolies to find out more about the charity, how they will make use of their bonus £500 donation and how they have benefitted from easyfundraising to date.
Why funding is required now more than ever
COVID and its aftershocks touched nearly every corner of society, none more so than the world of work. Out the door went in-person interviews and office-mandated roles; hybrid working, zoom calls, and the endless ringing of Microsoft Teams has now become the norm since 2020.
Adjusting to this shift, Toucan has had to implement a new range of services for its clients, ensuring they are well-equipped to deal with all of the challenges that a digital-first workplace can throw at you.
Alex explains: “COVID represented a major shift in the world of work, and it’s definitely something we’ve had to adapt to. Many of our clients had jobs in physical locations and, like most of us, weren’t fluent in Microsoft Teams.”
This meant digital literacy skills became a more central part of their employment services, helping people with learning difficulties navigate the landscape of digital recruitment and tricky online assessment centres. But with expensive tech costs, this has put increased pressure on the organisation’s need to actively fundraise and seek the support of the local community.
How easyfundraising helps
In the ever-more complicated landscape of charity funding, the decreasing number of grants has meant organisations like Toucan have had to get innovative with their fundraising efforts:
“We just want our services to reach and help as many people as possible. It’s becoming especially difficult for smaller charities, with fewer grants available each year. That’s why options like easyfundraising are perfect for us; the community can raise free donations for us without spending their own hard-earned cash.”
To date, Toucan’s supporters have raised more than £660 in two years, with Alex calling on the local community to get involved in the run-up to Christmas. “I’m a regular shopper myself, using Morrison’s for my regular big shop as well as eBay and Viking. It’s such a simple way of raising at no extra cost. We know Christmas is a huge opportunity for us and we’d love more people to get behind us!”
How the easyfundraising income is used
With the bonus donation from the eBay competition and other income, Alex and his team are able to take a much more rounded view of what it means to get people into sustainable employment.
Additional funding has meant they’re able to organise days out with their clients (an example day out is shown in the image above). They are also better equipped to help demystify the job-hunting process, and battle against costly necessities like expensive tech subscriptions to help their clients secure long-term work.
How you can support Toucan Employment
Finding work, interview phases – they are all incredibly stressful experiences and this can be even more so for those who may have autism or other learning difficulties. Charities like Toucan are so important and if you’d like to get behind them, you can do so every time you shop. Sign up to support them here.
Are you connected to a cause that could use some extra free funding? Join easyfundraising.