Village shop providing retail training for disabled people joins Nisa

Kingsley Village Shop and Post Office in Hampshire is part of the Kingsley Organisation which exists to support disabled people to pursue their ambitions.

Helen Dayson, chief executive officer for the Kingsley Organisation, said: “Our village shop was established to provide realistic retail training for disabled people and a much-needed service to the local rural community.

“It creates meaningful opportunities for our participants and volunteers to gain retail skills and work experience such as operating the till, numeracy and money skills, stock control, customer service, food hygiene, shop displays and promotions, social and communication skills and basic employability skills.”

The recent move to Nisa was driven by a need to improve the fresh and chilled produce ranges.

“We are only a very small store and so I am trying to understand what we can and cannot stock and get the range right but the fact that I can now get all my fruit and vegetables from Nisa and not have to go to lots of different suppliers is fantastic for us,” Dayson said.

“The shop is a vehicle for delivering education and training and any money that we make in the store goes straight back into the charity. Our intention is to give people greater choice, independency and control and if Nisa can help us to make a profit from the shop at the same time that would be marvellous.”

Nisa retail development manager Amy Hardy said: “When I first stepped foot into the Kingsley organisation to follow up an interest from them to join Nisa I was instantly struck by the passion and commitment there is in making the shop a success.

“The store is not in the business to make large profits, just to break even but in saying that I want to help Helen achieve a profit and be able to put more into the charity to support the great work they do at the centre.

“It also makes a huge difference to my daily work life to spend time with such inspirational people.”