Autism group's store aims to open up work chances

Harrison Farrell-Forster, right, is wearing a black T-shirt and is standing next to Dan, who is wearing a beige coloured jacket. They are standing in front of various clothing rails which have been prepared for the opening day of Wear.

Harrison Farrell-Forster, right, said he has found stability in his new job

Jim Scott
Sunderland

A man who sometimes "would not leave" his room says working inside a shop staffed by those with disabilities is helping him back into a stable routine.

Wear, a vintage clothes shop and cafe, has taken over an empty unit in Sunderland to help overcome a "lack of opportunities" in the workplace.

Set up by AutismAble, a non-profit organisation, several jobs have been created, and it will later open a support hub for neurodivergent members of public at the store.

Another staff member has revealed he is now better able to deal with making mistakes thanks to working in an environment where people understand neurodiversity.

The outside of the Wear shop, which is painted in a very dark blue and has a number of gold-coloured lamps lighting up the words Wear below. There is one large multi-coloured logo, which says Wear, being displayed in one of the large front windows.

Wear has opened inside the former Aphrodite clothing shop in Vine Place

Harrison Farrell-Forster, 24, who has ADHD and co-manages the clothing department, said he struggled less at this new job as he was given additional support.

Describing how he felt in previous jobs, including those which offered hybrid working, he said: "Some days I just wouldn't leave my room, so it wasn't good for me.

"I really struggled with the routine of [them], I would find myself just not doing much work."

Mr Farrell-Forster said being in the shop every day had allowed him to build on his speaking skills and regain a sense of routine.

Cafe worker Ryan Stewart who is wearing thin-rimmed black glasses and a white Lee Cooper T-shirt is smiling with his arms crossed. He is standing in front of the till area where a number of cakes are in display cabinets. In the background are two of his colleagues, one is a woman with long black hair and the other has shorter hair and is wearing a green jumper.

Ryan Stewart says he used to feel like it was the "end of the world" when he made a mistake

The shop is also home to the third branch of SeaChange, following on from the opening of cafes staffed by disabled workers in South Shields and Sunderland's Winter Gardens.

Ryan Stewart, who is neurodivergent, said working behind the till allowed him to feel "comfortable", unlike in previous jobs.

He said: "I don't feel under too much pressure to be perfect here.

"If I make mistakes I don't think the world is over, which is how I felt typically with employers who didn't understand neurodiversity."

There are plans to expand the online offering, with an aim of providing work for those who are neurodivergent and do not want public facing roles.

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