A BUSINESS which employs disabled people is moving towards financial independence with the award of a £70,000 contract.

Ableandwilling, a supported employer whose shop-floor staff all have disabilities, will supply Brighton and Hove City Council's refuse, recycling and parks staff with protective work clothes.

The firm specialises digital and screen printing and embroidery, supplying the likes of Grubbs Burgers of Brighton with 2,000 t-shirts.

The Hove-based firm is one of only 40 in the UK with a ‘supported employer’ model, according to the British Association for Supported Employment.

It receives direct funding from the council adult social care services to supplement the business, but direct funding has fallen in recent years.

Business and sales manager Jeff White said: “We know funding won’t be available forever and our aim is to be financially independent.

“This isn’t a hand-out, it’s a hard-won contract and I’m really proud we’ve got it.

“The aim is to save the council money and I’m sure we can do that too.”

Their new contract will see the 30 staff supplying the council’s Cityclean and City Parks services with boots, coats, trousers, pullovers, fleeces, high-visibility vests and gloves all branded with the council logo.

The council’s lead member for adult social care, Councillor Karen Barford, said: “Ableandwilling delivers high quality services at competitive rates to a range of satisfied customers.

“In supporting people in work who might otherwise be unemployed it is also providing a very valuable wider service to the community.

“This is a major contract that shows the confidence we have in Ableandwilling.”

Richard Bradley, head of the council’s Cityclean and City Parks teams, said: “Our staff are very much in the public eye, so they need to have appropriate high quality work-wear and be easily identifiable as council staff.

“We’re delighted to be doing business with Ableandwilling and thus helping people who have disabilities to access employment and gain new skills.

“But at the same time it was important that this deal hasn’t incurred extra expenses for us at a time when finances are so tight.”