Copy of Level Best presentation

[Audio] Level Best Enterprises moved to purpose-built premises almost 1 year ago and I'm going to talk about the difference it has made for us..

[Audio] Level Best is a social enterprise project started by The Dacon Trust. It provides work and life skills training for adults and young people with learning disabilities in the heart of Colchester..

[Audio] Level Best works with over 60 trainees delivering more than 110 sessions each week. Sessions are designed to encourage independence and creativity..

[Audio] Sessions cover four key areas, including cooking, making, gardening, and creating, enabling trainees to explore their talents and gain valuable work experience across each of the organisation's main enterprises..

[Audio] As an art facilitator, it is my job to enable art trainees to develop skills and create their own art, with as much ownership of the process as possible..

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[Audio] On the 11th of April 2023 we finally opened our new building on St John's Street to our trainees after 2 weeks of moving and setting up as much equipment as possible, whilst services were suspended. We opened our café and gallery to the public a week or so later. We considered how the trainees might react after 12 years on Culver Street East, a relatively quiet and unknown part of Colchester, moving to a much busier and more central location. Just the act of moving anywhere may have made some trainees uncomfortable to the point that it would be hard for them to settle in, but trainees have never looked back as there is so much that is new and impressive to appreciate..

[Audio] Because of the change in location and the increase in space and visibility, we have seen a massive increase in Donations (up 80%) and all sales across the enterprises have increased. We can also accommodate 50 more sessions per week in our new building.

[Audio] and in October 2023 we surpassed the capacity of the old building..

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[Audio] I'd like to show you a photo journal of the last 3 years of the new building, specifically showing milestones in 2023 and what opportunities the new location and our new status has opened up to us..

[Audio] We purchased the building in 2018 and in 2021 were able to meet trainees there for socially distanced outreach sessions..

[Audio] Knowing the building would be utterly changed, trainees were encouraged to draw and paint on the walls..

[Audio] Some of which survived long into the demolition phase..

[Audio] The whole building was knocked down by January 2022 and built back up again to accommodate.

[Audio] a large kitchen, café, and gallery,. Construction.

[Audio] 3 disabled toilets (1 downstairs, also a baby changing room and 2 upstairs for trainee use)..

[Audio] A lift and wide staircase, 2 offices, a staff room,.

[Audio] a communal lounge area, a cloak room. Construction.

[Audio] art studio and seasonal produce room.. Construction.

[Audio] By early spring 2023 trainees could visit the site more often and see the finishing touches..

Construction.

Launch.

Launch.

[Audio] Our first customers came quickly.. Launch: first customers.

[Audio] We had a soft launch featuring work by trainees,.

[Audio] volunteers and associates whom we had given scrolls to draw or paint or collage on.

[Audio] for our first gallery. Exhibition.. Launch: Gallery.

[Audio] Our soft launch evening featured trainees working on the night serving food and pocketing some cash,.

[Audio] followed by a hard launch in the summer where all session rooms offered demos to the public, we had a Seasonal market, a BBQ.

[Audio] and special guest Nick Butterworth officially opened us as well doing some drawing demos on the day..

[Audio] We encourage the use of our building to heighten awareness of our charity and social enterprise projects and a wonderful example of this was when the British legion organised for us to be host for celebration of the achievements of Wali Mohammad Noori, a blind professional athlete who brought home four gold medals for the UK at the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf..

[Audio] Wali gave an inspiring speech about his triumph through adversity. A great inspiration for our trainees..

[Audio] We've had market stalls, renting stalls to local crafters, traders and makers.

[Audio] as well as s stall of our own.. Market stalls.

[Audio] We've had musical performances. Performances.

[Audio] and theatrical performances with trainee's getting in on the act..

[Audio] Again, a great inspiration and boost to their confidence and creativity..

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[Audio] Our new art studio is spacious and well-lit, especially in spring and summer..

[Audio] The tables and chairs can be arranged for group activities.

[Audio] and to allow full access to wheelchair users..

[Audio] An example of some of the activities we can experiment with having a larger dedicated art space.

[Audio] includes performance-based animation, as demoed on our hard launch day..

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[Audio] Our new kitchen is similarly spacious and allows for a larger volume of bodies to safely move around the space..

Cooking sessions.

[Audio] . Kitchen trainees are kept busy with the daily café menu as well as keeping up with buffet orders.

[Audio] Which need to be ready for collection.. Cooking sessions.

[Audio] and our front-of-house serving area allows trainees to take orders and payments.