Last week saw the official opening of the Teesside Ability Support Centre‘s (TASC) new Candy Bar and Tuck Shop.

TASC is a day centre for adults with disabilities, where the emphasis is to increase the service users’ self-confidence and to maximise their potential to live as independent a life as possible. The day centre provides personal care, skills training, and gardening as well as educational and vocational courses, sporting activities, physiotherapy, and speech therapy designed to help service users prepare for their independent future while their carers get some well-earned respite.

Opened by the Mayor, Andy Preston, the centre’s latest refurbishment has delivered an area that not only teaches the service users the principles of buying/selling, handling money, etc. but also has their ease of use in mind.

“Court Homemakers supplied and fitted the Candy Bar and Tuck Shop”, said Malcolm Turley, General Manager at the centre. “Because some service users have a condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa, which affects the eye and means they can’t always see when/where their change is on a worktop, Court Homemakers fitted worktops that took this into account. That’s why this partnership really works. They always go that extra mile to deliver exactly what is needed and do it all without charge to us because of the help of their suppliers.”

TASC has held a place in the heart of Paul Henderson, Director of Court Homemakers, for a very long time. Paul used to play on the roof of the centre when he was a kid, so he’s always felt he had a penance he should pay back. Ten years ago, Court Homemakers and Paul refurbished the member kitchen.

“When we did the kitchen, we did it as empathetically as we could, really thinking about the end-users and their needs. That set the standard, really, so the Candy Bar and Tuck Shop followed suit. I do feel that when you do well in business, you have a responsibility to give back to your local area”, said Paul. And the Mayor, Andy Preston, echoed this sentiment with his undertaking to help the centre raise its profile and funding, too.

If you’d like to know more about the fixtures and fittings:

• The worktops were from Plasman’s Artis range; the group loved the colour urban grey with copper, brass, and silver finishes, each of which can be detected by TASC’s partially sighted service users and those with differing abilities.
• The splash backs match the worktops and go behind the worktops to the floor.
• The sink and taps are from Blanco. The extra large stainless steel sink with Ergonomic taps have quarter turn levers for ease of use.
• And finally, from the PWS collection, Court Homemakers opted for Porter Matt Porcelain painted doors, which are flat modern doors for easy maintenance. The brushed steel easy-to-grip handles are perfect for all abilities.