Camphill School will be awarded a £75,000 grant from Aberdeen City Council to help create a new social enterprise hub.
The charity is looking to transform the vacant book shop on the Murtle Estate into a zero waste organic farm shop and community facility.
Plans for the Murtle Market reveal it would promote the charity’s impressive 80 year history and showcase various crafts made by the young people it supports.
Camphill says the facility on North Deeside Road will help support an extra 40 youngsters over the next five years.
The charity had applied to the local authority’s Place Based Investment Programme for the cash.
Its application was approved by members of the finance and resources committee recently.
What would the Murtle Market offer?
Camphill’s young people would be central to the market’s operation, from serving customers and checking stock, to making home bakes and crafting products for sale.
Produce grown on the Camphill School Aberdeen site will be sold at the market.
Nearby residents can also take their own containers along and fill up on goods and products such as pasta, pulses and laundry detergent.
Those looking for a caffeine boost will be able to drop in for a takeaway coffee and a tray bake make by young people in the kitchen workshop.
The site will also offer bike maintenance and upcycling, while a bike hire facility could be offered in the future.
It is anticipated that the Murtle Market will be open to the public five days a week.
Murtle Market to give opportunities to young people
Alex Busch, Executive Director of Camphill School Aberdeen, said the Murtle Market was “crucial” in giving more opportunities to young people as they grow older.
He explained: “We want to contribute to lessen the statistic that only 4.1% of adults with a learning disability are in employment.
“Our vision aims to ease pressure on the acute shortage of local and national opportunities for young people.
“It also aims to support parents back into work and contribute to the delivery of the Just Transition to Net Zero by 2045.”
Mr Busch added: “The facility will support an additional 40 young people over the next five years, increasing the total number of young people aged 16-25 we support to 100 and our overall capacity to 140.”
Camphill School’s £10 million campaign continues
Camphill is continuing work on its £10 million capital campaign to help young people across the north-east with complex additional support needs.
Plans are in the pipeline to build a multi-million-pound residential home to address the crisis in residential care.
Camphill said the £3m state-of-the-art and sustainable residential accommodation would provide “life-transforming opportunities” for 54 young people.
The Murtle Market is included in the campaign, along with work to extend its existing workshops.
You can learn more about the charity by watching the video below:
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