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A Mangawhai mum who wants to give her son and other young adults with additional support needs the best chance of finding meaningful employment has taken matters into her own hands by creating a new community initiative.
Inspired by her son, who has the rare genetic condition Prader–Willi syndrome, and a conversation with other mums during a recent carers’ retreat, Jeanette Mabin came up with the idea for Harbour Light with the aim of helping young adults with additional support needs develop hospitality skills and find employment.
“I was talking to the other mums at the retreat about our kids and the opportunities they will have after they leave college because there is not a lot out there for them.
“I remembered watching a documentary about a place called Foxes Hotel in England where they train young people with additional support needs to run the hotel, and I thought, why can’t we do that in New Zealand?” Mabin says.
Aurora Foxes is a specialist college in Minehead, England, where students with learning disabilities train and gain work experience in a hotel open to the public. During the three-year training programme, the students develop hospitality and independent living skills while working towards nationally recognised qualifications.
Mabin says she is “starting small but dreaming big” and has plans to create something similar to Foxes in Mangawhai.
“My big dream for Harbour Light is to create New Zealand’s first hotel run by young adults with additional support needs, where every guest leaves inspired,” she says.
“I think Mangawhai is the perfect place to start something like this because it is all about community, and that is what this project is all about.”
Later this month, Harbour Light is hosting a get-together for young adults (18 years and over) with additional support needs and their caregivers who are interested in taking part in the initiative. A small pilot event is planned for November with help from Mangawhai Bowling Club and Harbour Light’s small team of volunteers.
The planned “pub quiz with a twist” will give the young people involved a chance to put their hospitality skills into practice. Before the event, participants will receive hands-on training in preparing the dishes they want to make and welcoming and serving guests.
For Mabin, Mangawhai is just the start.
“I would love to see Harbour Light spread across the country, so everyone gets an opportunity to be involved in something like this.”
The first Harbour Light get-together will be held at The Club Mangawhai on October 21, from 10.30am to 11.30am. Young adults with additional support needs can meet one another, share ideas and learn more about the initiative.
To register interest, email harbourlightnz@gmail.com or find Harbour Light on Facebook.
