Airfield Estate partners with Gather + Gather for hospitality opportunities
– to expand employment opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities
Airfield Estate, Dublin’s urban farm and education centre, today announced a new partnership with catering provider Gather + Gather to expand paid employment opportunities in the hospitality sector for people with intellectual disabilities. The GROW programme, developed by Airfield Estate, will deliver supported further employment on the 38-acre estate in Dundrum, in collaboration with Gather + Gather and other large employers across Dublin.
The announcement comes as Ireland continues to lag behind its EU counterparts in disability employment, with just 32.6% of people with disabilities in work, compared with an EU average of 51.3% according to the Disability Federation of Ireland (*see notes to editor)
Claire MacEvilly, CEO of Airfield Estate, said the partnership reflects a practical approach to inclusion: “GROW is about delivering real outcomes through employment. Working with our restaurant partners Gather & Gather, allows us to move beyond short-term placements and create genuine pathways into work for people who are too often excluded from the labour market. GROW offers something practical, scalable and proven, it opens the door to work”.
Gather + Gather will work with Airfield Estate to provide meaningful, skills-based work placements within Overends Kitchen, the onsite café and across the wider hospitality sector, supporting participants to develop real hospitality experience and pathways into employment.
Pictured in Airfield Estate, Dundrum, Dublin, announcing a new partnership with Gather + Gather to expand paid employment opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities in the hospitality sector are: Claire MacEvilly, CEO, Airfield Estate, Conor Doherty, former GROW Programme participant and employee of Overends Restaurant and Tom Isherwood, General Manager, Overends Kitchen for Gather + Gather.
Pauline Cox, Managing Director of Gather + Gather Ireland, said the initiative aligns social impact with their day-to-day business: “As Airfield Estate’s restaurant partner, we see firsthand the value of creating real opportunities in real workplaces. GROW is a practical, proven programme that supports people to build skills, confidence and experience, while helping employers like us broaden access to talent within the hospitality sector.”
The GROW programme, which stands for Growth, Respect, Opportunity and Wellbeing, also offers supported work placements across horticulture, farming and operations. Participants are supported by a dedicated skills trainer and programme co-ordinator, with a focus on building confidence, workplace skills and progression into paid employment.
Previous participants in the GROW programme have progressed into paid roles at Airfield Estate and with employers including Gather & Gather, An Post, Amazon, TikTok and Dublin Bus.
One recent participant, Conor Doherty from Harold’s Cross, Dublin recently progressed from the GROW programme to gain employment with Gather + Gather in Overends restaurant at Airfield Estate. Conor joined GROW and completed work experience across the farm, gardens, facilities and the restaurant at Airfield. These hands-on experiences equipped him with the adaptability required to thrive in a fast-paced restaurant environment, enabling him to transition smoothly into his role at Overends Kitchen.
Airfield Estate plans to scale the GROW programme this year to support up to 20 participants and is also exploring the development of a similar programme for people with physical disabilities. The GROW programme is delivered in partnership with Gather + Gather, WALK’s REAL programme, GHEEL and St John of God’s Day Services. Other supporters include Dundrum Town Centre.
For further information on GROW as a participant or if you are a business that wishes to support the programme, please visit www.airfield.ie/grow
Pictured in Airfield Estate, Dundrum, Dublin, announcing a new partnership with Gather + Gather to expand paid employment opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities in the hospitality sector are: Claire Mac Evilly, CEO, Airfield Estate, Asa Kearney, a current GROW participant from Killiney and Tom Isherwood, General Manager, Overends Kitchen for Gather + Gather.
Photos courtesy of: Finbarr O’Rourke www.forphoto.ie
