SPECIAL needs day care centre, Satori House, has been crowned winners at the Solihull Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner and awards evening for their exceptional service to young people with disabilities.
The specialist care providers received both the Outstanding Contribution to Community award, sponsored by Jask Creative, as well as the prestigious Solihull Business of the Year award, sponsored by Glide.
And now they’ve issued a special plea to anyone in the building trade to help them get their new premises ship-shape so they can help even more young people.
“We are a specialist centre caring for young adults with complex needs, learning disabilities and challenging behaviours,” said Nicola Pelligrini-Homer, who started the business with Paula Litwinko in 2019.
“We’ve been leasing our premises but now we have been able to secure a place of our own where we can help more young people, but we need help from within the building industry – if they can lend a hand that would be fab.”
Satori House initially started their day care with three young adults, five days a week with a staff of four, but through word of mouth there has been significant growth within the first 18 months. Now they have 15 service users and a staff of 19.
“They come to us at 18 and there’s no upper age limit,” said Nicola.
“Often these vulnerable adults are stepping into the open world while we aim to consolidate their learning.”
When the pandemic struck, Satori rose to the challenge; realising any break in their usual routine would damage the wellbeing of their charges, staff sacrificed their wider ‘bubbles’ to maintain continuity at the day centre.
“There is a school of thought that these young people do not bring anything to society, but we want them to live fulfilled lives,” said Nicola.
This includes finding their charges work experience and, through a social enterprise, worthwhile employment, including assembling car components for manufacturers like JLR.
“This gives a real sense of achievement that they are making a worthwhile contribution,” said Nicola.
The awards, sponsored by Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, were held at the Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel and Country Club.
