WELCOME TO B.O.L.D

ABOUT US

Set up in 1997 as a garden maintenance project B.O.L.D, then known as Beds Garden Carers (BGC) has flourished into a project that offers a huge array of work experience and educational opportunities, workshops and meaningful day services for people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour.

Adults with learning disabilities often suffer from discrimination in every walk of life. The lack of opportunities and the needs of this group are often neglected. Our project addresses these challenges by working in partnership with our members and their families  helping them to live the life they choose.

We currently engage in a wide range of activities that people can choose from, including: Gardening, Workshop, Animal Farm, Independent Living Skills, Arts & Crafts, Drama, Gym, Sports, Education & Training, Horticulture, Music and working in our own Café.

In addition to our day opportunities we run social clubs, hold evening functions and offer shorts breaks and holidays both in the UK and abroad.

The range that we offer is constantly evolving and expanding meaning that there is something for everyone and the opportunity to try new things.

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WORK EXPERIENCE

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Our aim is to give our adults a taste of working life. This may not lead to a permanent job, but it will give an insight into what is expected of them in a real job. We offer work experience and a worthwhile fulfilling role within the community. The project gives them a secure work-based environment for as long as they require it. It gives them a sense of purpose and achievement, builds self-esteem whilst giving them the chance to discover and develop their own individual abilities.

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WORK EXPERIENCE

Choices

A Different Brew 

The most recent project of B.O.L.D. The new venture is staffed by adults with learning disabilities, working both front and back of house. B.O.L.D has been part of the Bedford community for the last 21 years, over this time B.O.L.D has evolved into a very  comprehensive organisation providing a wide range of services for people with learning disabilities, challenging behaviour along with a diverse range of additional disabilities.

The café is at the site of an old public house and the décor is very individual and all the furniture was created in our Workshop. The project members that work in the café have done their food hygiene certificate and participate in all the food preparation.

All the food is cooked fresh to order by our project members under staff supervision and is made on site and uses where possible fruit and veg from out allotment and eggs from our Animal Farm. The suppliers that we use are local as we feel this is important. We are able to offer vegetarian and gluten free options. Most importantly the café is open to all members of the public.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Workshop, Farm & Gardening

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Working with wood is known to be very therapeutic, with this mind we set up a workshop where our project members restore and mend donated furniture, upcycle donated items and make new items.

Old furniture that is donated is stripped by hand and then given a new lease of life, or recycled into something completely different such as donated sewing machines are now tables in our café.

Thanks to kind donations we have a quantity of wood which we use to make planters, benches, Christmas decorations, bird boxes, garden furniture and many other decorative items which are sold online, at craft sales and at our café. Nothing is wasted as left over wood is bagged up and sold as kindling.

All the furniture in our café started life in our workshop and has been transformed from unwanted items to individual pieces of furniture all slightly different all lovingly made.

Animal Farm

Animal husbandry in the form of a small holding is the latest venture by B.O.L.D. On the site of the café we, our gardening team, have built a chicken coup and run, a pig enclosure and goat enclosure. Our project members are learning basic animal care and what is entailed when running a small holding, they are involved with feeding, grooming, protection and what to look out for to keep them healthy.

Gardening

B.O.L.D has a large range of garden maintenance contracts in the community, looking after gardens (sites) for schools, housing associations, businesses and private individuals. We also take on one off projects including fencing, patio laying and site clearance. This gives people with learning disabilities experience of work and responsibility. The gardening programme also builds self- esteem and confidence and forms friendships that will last a lifetime.

The gardening teams go out every day and project members have the opportunity to gain a wide range of skills, whilst being fully supported, including: mowing, planting, pruning, hedge-cutting and all aspects of garden and machinery maintenance.

We operate the gardening project as near to a commercial garden maintenance company as possible. We work as near as possible to a full working day. Project members are encouraged to keep regular hours and good timekeeping. They are expected to come suitably dressed for work, wet weather clothing, boots and gloves are provided. The variety of sites and work brings our project members into contact with a wide range of people

B.O.L.D has an allotment where we grow a range of vegetables which are used in our café. The allotment is composed entirely of raised beds, all of which were built and installed by our gardening team and a local business, which has given all our project members irrelevant of age or mobility the opportunity to garden and produce home grown vegetables.

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THE FREEDOM TO GROW

Social Activities

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Social isolation can be a problem for people with learning disabilities and as we all know life is not just work, work, work, we all need some fun and laughter and the opportunity to spend time with their friends and meet new people and experience new and different activities. Our activities also benefit families by offering restbite be it only on a Saturday or a week if we go a holiday. We offer the following:

Saturday Club

Saturday Club is exactly what is says a social club that runs on a Saturday providing access to leisure facilities for people with learning disabilities.  Activities are varied and always good fun and past club days have included day trips to the seaside or theme parks, ten pin bowling, pub lunches, bingo, lazer, BBQ, day out to Harry Potter Studio, pantomime, Mercedes driving experience  and many more. All activities are fully staffed and 1:1 support is available on request.

A rota is produced every 2 months and is available by email or hard copy.

Thursday Club

A recent addition to the B.O.L.D diary is the social evening on a Thursday night where people go out for a meal together with their friends; again this a fully staffed activity with the venues chosen by the project members.

Holidays

In 2003 we started our holidays after one of our project members asked if they could go on holiday somewhere fun with their friends; 15 years later we run  3 or 4 holidays a year plus a couple of week-end breaks. Our holiday venues are chosen by our project members, they flood us with ideas and we arrange them.

We offer holidays both in the UK and abroad and they all include staffing, transport and are full board, therefore only requiring personal insurance and spending money. We are also able to offer payment plans for all of our holidays.

Past holidays have included: USA, Egypt, Devon, Centerparcs, Alton Towers Hotel, PGL holidays, Eurodisney, Dorset, Norfolk, Yorkshire Dales, Canary Islands and Mediterranean Cruise to name a few.

Our week-end breaks have included staying in an 11th century castle, Youth hostelling, trips to Emmerdale studio and Beamish open museum and a few week-ends at Alton Towers.

A DIFFERENT BREW CAFE

106 Capham Road, Bedford, MK41 7PJ

01234 341925

A Different Brew offer a wide variety of snacks, hot meals, home-made baked goods for you to try.
A warm, welcoming and friendly atmosphere.

PRIVACY POLICY

This is the policy of Bedfordshire Opportunities for Learning Disabilities  (B.O.L.D) previously known as Beds Garden Carers, we are a charity who support people with a learning disability. We are a charity limited by guarantee our charity number is 1091271 and company number is 4327714.We are registered as a data controller under the Data protection Act 1988 and our reference number is Z1329920.

What is a privacy policy?

B.O.L.D is committed to keeping the trust and confidence of everyone who comes into contact with us. So it is important that you know we record your personal data when you do things like visit our website or use our services. We want you to trust us with that information. This privacy policy explains all you need to know about:

• what information we collect

• why we collect it

• what we do with it

• when we may share it with others

• how you can access and update your information.

Why do we collect your personal data?

When you use our website or services you are agreeing to us keeping and using your personal data, which helps us to communicate more effectively with you and to deliver a better service.

.Change the way we communicate with you?

If you want to change the way we communicate with you contact us on 01234 352899 and ask for the administration department or email to enquiries@bo4ld.org.uk

What is in this policy?

We will tell you about the type of personal information that we have about you and how we use it, how long we keep it and why, how it is stored, how and why we share your information with others, how you can access your personal information,  and make changes to it if you need to.

Personal information is information that can identify you, such as your name, telephone number, email address, home address, bank details, National Insurance number, medical conditions and medication taken. This information is held in a)paper format which is stored in locked cabinets which is only accessible to trained staff

b) Stored on computers which have encrypted security measures. A server is not used but information is backed up to the cloud.

These measures are being updated regularly and out of date information is changed/deleted as required;  an encrypted email system is presently being installed.

This information is given directly when you sign up to join, or support the charity such as donating to us and sign a gift aid form or can be given by third parties such as social services or support staff or from online services such as Facebook or Twitter if you have given them permission to share with us.

The reasons we collect and keep your information are:

Payroll, if we employ you

Processing financial transactions such as donations, setting up of direct debits, processing Gift Aid.

Supporting you on a day to day basis and ensuring your needs are met at all times eg medication.

Keeping records of communication eg emails, phone calls.

Keeping contact records up to date.

Keep information if required for complaints, queries, legal claims.

So we are able to provide information or services that you request.

We keep information on past and present donors for fundraising events in the future if you have agreed to being contacted.

We will not sell your personal information to third parties and will not pass it on to other parties to use for marketing or fundraising.

We only hold your information whilst you are involved with B.O.L.D and you can  contact us at B.O.L.D 106 Clapham Road, Bedford. MK41 7PJ to access the information we hold. We do not have a Data Protection Officer but all enquiries will be dealt with by our administration department; we aim to respond with 5 working days with full response within 30 working days.

If any details of your information changes please help us keep up to date, email us at enquiries@bo4ld.org.uk or phone on 01234 352899 or write to the above address. If you no longer wish to receive communications from us you can tick the box on the email or phone on 01234 352899.

There may be legal reasons why we have to share information which could include legal or lawful government request, data breach violation investigation.

Changes

It there are any major changes, we will add a notice on our website.

Questions

If you have any questions about anything mentioned in the policy please contact us;

Email: enquiries@bo4ld.org.uk

Phone: 01234 352899

DO YOU HAVE A CLIENT REFERRAL PROGRAM?

Contact us direct or via your local A.L.D.T at social services