Published 6 March 2013
Future Clean continues to grow
Award winning social enterprise Future Clean is building on its success by expanding the project’s operations. Future Clean received ESF support and first appeared in an ESF news story last year. It was also amongst 32 projects showcased at the ESF Innovation, Transnationality and Mainstreaming (ITM) final Celebratory Event in London on 27 February.
Future Clean is an innovative, environmentally friendly car valeting system that offers paid jobs for people with disabilities and other challenges through small social enterprises developed and managed by Pluss. In its first phase (to March 2013) the initiative received ESF support. Since its beginning in April 2010 at a municipal car park in Plymouth, Future Clean has expanded across a number of sites and delivered around 40 paid jobs to people with moderate to severe learning disabilities, complex mental health issues and people with physical disabilities.
With enterprises currently in Plymouth, Exeter, Norwood and (through their transnational work) Valenciennes in France, Future Clean is planning new developments in Cornwall, London, Somerset, Dorset Gloucester, Oxford, Portsmouth, Kent, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Sunderland, and in France and Belgium as well.
The first location in Cornwall for Future Clean is Moorfield Car Park, in Truro, which will support 24 people through the Jobcentre Plus Flexible Support Fund.
Carolyn Webster Strategic Development Manager Devon, Cornwall and Somerset Jobcentre Plus said:
“We are proud to be backing Future Clean, an initiative, which has developed a proven track record of inspiring jobseekers to achieve greater independence through work.”
Pluss’ Future Clean uses an eco-friendly and portable commercial car valeting system which is industry accredited. The simplicity and portability of the equipment means that it is easy for Pluss to offer practical training and work experience and to develop employment opportunities.
Alongside the practical experience in car valeting, a variety of courses are offered including PTLLS (Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector), fork lift training, first aid, health and safety, and safe lifting. So far clients have gone on to full time education or found employment, including a laptop engineer, a school janitor and work in retail and care sectors.
Rod Burnett, Pluss Development Manager, said:
“This is an exciting period for Future Clean. We have been shortlisted for the 2013 British Parking Awards for innovative partnership working. We hope that by the end of this year we will be able to say that the majority of London Boroughs are also operating a Future Clean project. I am really looking forward to reporting on the numbers of jobs created as a result of Pluss’s efforts.”
Mark Yeoman, Head of ESF Convergence Communication, said, “We regularly see projects that have been trialled and proven using ESF Convergence attract mainstream investment to expand elsewhere.
“In this case this highly successful ESF project has been launched in Cornwall with the use of mainstream investment from Jobcentre Plus Devon Cornwall and Somerset and it looks set to increase the variety of options available to those seeking opportunities for employment or training.”
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