A South Shropshire charity supporting adults with learning disabilities has been given a sweet Easter treat.

Working Together (Ludlow) which has spent more than 20 years helping people develop vital life skills, was handed 50 Easter eggs by Lock Stock Self Storage.

The growing storage firm, based in Denbigh, has two sites in the area, one at Brimfield, near Ludlow, and the other in Craven Arms.

It says supporting local good causes is at the heart of its work in every community where it operates.

Ludlow site manager Alan Brightmore delivered the Easter eggs and described the work of Working Together as “truly inspirational”.

Activities manager Jan Amphlett Whyley thanked Lock Stock for the generous gift and said they would go down a treat with the dozens of people who benefited from the charity’s work.

The people who use the charity’s services have a variety of disabilities and learning difficulties including Down Syndrome, autism and Asperger syndrome.

Their day service, which runs Monday to Friday from 10am to 3pm, provides a vital opportunity for the organisation’s members to learn life skills and to socialise with people who have similar disabilities.

Alan Brightmore from Lock Stock Self Storage said: “Working Together do fantastic work here in Ludlow helping people with disabilities.

“Having met some of their members and having heard more about how the charity started and the difference it makes, it is fair to say the charity’s work is truly inspirational.

“It provides a valuable space for people to learn life skills and also an opportunity to socialise and enjoy themselves.

“The community of Ludlow should be very proud of the charity, and as a company within that community, we are very proud to support it.”

Jan said: “If we were not around, a lot of our members would probably sadly just be at home, isolated.

“We are the only place around here which offers this sort of thing and there is a lot of social side to it as well as learning skills.”

The charity was founded by Richard and Susan Geuter in 2002 and, since moving to its current base at Rockspring Community Centre in 2019, has expanded the services it provides.

Jan, who has been with the organisation for 14 years, said: “We have 22 day members and 50 places over a week, so that’s 10 places a day.

“We are like a big house really, everything you do at home, we do here.

“Some members come one or two days a week, others come three or four days.

“Our day members have lunch here which they cook themselves.

“Our youngest day member at the moment is 20 and our oldest is 63, so there is quite a big range.

“Some of our members live independently, some are in supported living and some stay with their mum and dad.

“We have an activities room, and our members do all sorts of activities there such as artwork, and we have a garden too where our members can learn gardening and growing skills and do sports.

“It has just expanded hugely, we are spread over four rooms now, whereas we were in one tiny room before.

“We are delighted with the Easter eggs from Lock Stock, it is absolutely fantastic and our members will really appreciate them.

“Easter is a very special time for the charity, we make Easter cards and Easter gifts with our members for them to take home, it is a lovely time.

“Our members also cook for the community lunch which is run by the food bank at the other end of the building in the Baptist church.

“It is a nice thing to do and it teaches our members cooking skills and food preparation skills.

“Each member is different, some like to come just for the company and the social side of it, while others really want to learn skills that they can take on to other parts of their life.

“We also have a youth club on a Tuesday night for 11 to 18 year olds, and Diversity every other Wednesday night, which is a bit like the youth club, but for adults, and the age range there is from 18 to about 70.

“We also have a book shop in Craven Arms which is run by volunteers.”
According to Jan, next year will be an important one for the charity, as it marks its silver anniversary when a garden party will be held for members and their families.
And she added last year was also a special year when the charity was invited to a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.

Jan attended the event along with Susan Geuter, Susan’s son Thomas and chair of trustees Nicola North.

She said: “It was a garden party to celebrate education and skills, we are not quite sure who nominated us.

“We had a lovely time, the King and the Queen attended.”

Founded in 2000, Lock Stock has over 5,700 storage units providing more than five million cubic feet of space at more than 35 storage parks across North and Mid Wales, the border counties and the north west.

They estimate that over 70 per cent of their units are rented by people moving house or keeping treasured possessions but nearly 30 per cent, almost 2,000, are used by a variety of businesses for storing materials, stock and equipment.

For information about Lock Stock Self Storage including off-site container hire, contact them on 01745 817178 or go to https://lockstock.biz/