NOW Group announced the expansion of its services across Ireland from a launch event at Kilmainham Cafe on 20th June. Through this expansion we will see an increase of NOW Group’s services across the island of Ireland.
A five-year Strategic Growth Plan was shared which outlined more Loaf Catering cafes, new jobs and employment academies for people with intellectual disabilities, Autism and neurodiverse conditions.
Launched at from the organisation’s first cafe in Ireland located at Kilmainham, Dublin 8, the NOW Group Growth Plan, which runs until 2028, will cover five major pillars which benefit people, employers, and communities.
Having already announced its first Digital & Loaf Catering Academy in Dublin, the NOW Group is targeting the creation and delivery of 25 employment academies for those with intellectual disabilities, Autism and neurodiverse conditions within the next five years, delivering skills for over 1000 participants.
With the launch of its first Loaf Café in the Old Chocolate Factory, Kilmainham, Dublin, the NOW Group is set on further cementing the Loaf Catering brand with the launch of their corporate catering business and plans to open another Loaf Café soon.
The social enterprise is committed to assisting 300 participants into jobs with a future
To facilitate, support and foster this growth, the NOW Group will establish a Dublin hub for the organisation, with potentially 20 new jobs created in the next five years, in addition to further job creation in Northern Ireland.
Building on the success of the JAM Card*, surpassing 200,000 JAM card users in Ireland
The NOW Group has already launched its first Digital & Loaf Catering Academy in Dublin, following the success of this model in the North, and is currently recruiting for its first full-time Dublin-based role, an Employment Development Manager, who will support participants with learning disabilities and autism into jobs with a future.
In May 2023, NOW Group was chosen as one of four non-profit organisations helping to tackle youth unemployment in Dublin’s most disadvantaged areas under Rethink Ireland’s €763,000 Urban Uplift Fund. As part of the Fund, up to 120 marginalised young adults will be empowered into jobs, apprenticeships or work experience programmes, with up to 75 young adults enabled to complete certified training and up to 80 to progress on to further education.
NOW Group are currently seeking applicants for their first Loaf Catering Academy in Dublin which will be based in Loaf’s Cafe Kilmainham. Through this programme participants will develop their skills in catering and customer service. They will also have the opportunity to gain hands on experience alongside training and job support.