Shetland Home Company

[Ghostrider]

....so please support cope and please remember folks its better for us that cope works well and can take on more clients.

 

I think it would be fair to say that in general most folk would like to, and where possible try to, but when COPE is offering a used couch for sale at £75.00 and you can buy a comparable couch on local Classifieds for £50.00, they are making it difficult for a lot of folk to do so.

 

The majority of folk in general, I think, will be amenable to paying a little over the odds to COPE on account of it being "for a good cause", but the wider the gap gets between their prices and those of their competition, the fewer folk feel willing to pay the extra amount. That's the thing with charity, folk need to feel comfortable with whatever amount they're giving, not that their heartstrings are being pulled to the max to squeeze as much out of them as possible. That just turns folk against giving at all, and the goose that lays the golden egg is dead.

 

IMHO COPE have done quite well with the Scrapstore as far as they've taken it, but are in danger of killing it off with their current pricing and stocking policies. There's a whole lot more they could possibly be doing with it to make it a better earner. The stock I'm seeing on their F/B page these days is almost exclusively very conservative household items, with the occasional semi "antique" piece thrown in, virtually none of which I'd fancy living with every day unless as a temporary measure. Maybe thats what the vast majority of Shetland households comprise of, and maybe that what the majority of Shetlanders want in their houses, I don't know, I just know its the kind of stuff I'd expect a maiden aunt (if I had one) to have, not me.

 

Likewise, their policy of cherry picking donations, to eliminate items which in their opinion won't shift in their current set up. Why throw away this potential income stream? Okay, so its not suited for how they are, but would it not make a whole lot more sense to take it anyway and hold occasional auction sales of it to shift it "as is" and get what little they could for it. They're getting it for nothing, a volunteer auctioneer and a couple of volunteer helpers to organise and keep the books, and two or three of their clients as "fetch and carry" people, and its done. They can't lose, the stock comes free, so even if each auction only cleared £100 for a pile of what was basically "junk", they're coming ahead, and it would provide "work" for some of their client base.

Edited March 12, 2015 by Ghostrider

[paulb]

i like you auction idea. 

[Suffererof1crankymofo]

"No fault of their own and, if they are being 'exploited'(?) in order to proved employment for their able bodied 'trainers'(?) at public expense, a great shame."

 

I think there's an element of truth in that.  Just who is keeping whom in employment?

[paulb]

you could argue that about all charities. but the world would be a much sadder place without them.

 

but im sure its a bit unfair to label copes staff of such a charge. when ive been near a cope store of any kind i see folks enjoying there work, its not often i see that in normal workers. if that requires staff to be employed i really dont care. much better for the clients supported workers to be out and working/learning than stuck at home.

 

its sad the government are making it harder for people with serious learning disabilities to work.   

[Sukibind]

Ask how many long standing COPE employees have left in the past 3 years..

 

Answer.. Nearly all.

 

Yes, that sounds like a happy work place where folks enjoy their work.

[trowie246]

I don't know much about the Shetland Home Company or whatever they call themselves but I did wonder about Karibuni when it closed.  Cope owned the building, were running a business which was subsidised, employing workers on relatively low pay. It was reported that they had about 100 regular customers a day. Yet they closed because they were having a 10% cut in subsidy.

 

 Something is wrong there.

 

The person who runs it now has to pay rent to Cope and presumably gets no subsidies to run it and appears to have a thriving business.

 

Could it be managerial and administration costs of running Cope means that some businesses will never be viable?  Shetland Home Company could be the exception to the rule but it does make you wonder who they are actually helping and providing jobs for.

[MuckleJoannie]

"our larger employers could consider work placements tesco, coop and the council could easily provide places."

 

I could be wrong but, I believe that there is a legal requirement for larger employers to engage a certain percentage of disabled/handicapped people but, like everything else, fitting the right ones into the appropriate niche is the problem.

That requirement was abolished in 1995.

[Colin]

 

"our larger employers could consider work placements tesco, coop and the council could easily provide places."

 

I could be wrong but, I believe that there is a legal requirement for larger employers to engage a certain percentage of disabled/handicapped people but, like everything else, fitting the right ones into the appropriate niche is the problem.

That requirement was abolished in 1995.

 

Thanks..

[Downtown2]

Spouted like the uninformed insular people who inhabit these islands, your all a disgrace, and not fit to call yourself Shetlanders, but your probably not, your probably 'sooth moothers' . I have to stop now before I really get angry.

[Ghostrider]

I have to stop now before I really get angry.

 

Aw, go on, humour us inbred sheepshaggers with your rage inspired doubtless wisdom.

[Downtown2]

That's just it! You have no wisdom. Your just empty headed bigots. If you had wisdom you would recognise the good that COPE does, and the help it gives to adults with learning difficulties. There is nothing else out there, those people who have money. and influence are not interested in helping, they just live in their ivory towers.

The people who work at COPE are hardworking people, who earn just above the minimum wage and do it for the love of the job and the clients.

What I suggest, instead of trying to undermine the good that's being done, is spend a day there volunteering, and then see if you come away with the same point of view, I guarantee you wont. I know because I was that man!!

[Suffererof1crankymofo]

Oooh, toys and pram spring to mind!

[brian.smith]

Well never been in the place but as guided had a wee look at the facebook page bit strange really second hand metal futon 50 quid googled found brand new for 75 then fairly substantial unit 99 which looked really quite expensive then onto a couple of little chests of drawers heavily damaged 30 and 40 so seems their pricing is a bit all over the place

[Suffererof1crankymofo]

That's just it! You have no wisdom. Your just empty headed bigots. If you had wisdom you would recognise the good that COPE does, and the help it gives to adults with learning difficulties. There is nothing else out there, those people who have money. and influence are not interested in helping, they just live in their ivory towers.

The people who work at COPE are hardworking people, who earn just above the minimum wage and do it for the love of the job and the clients.

What I suggest, instead of trying to undermine the good that's being done, is spend a day there volunteering, and then see if you come away with the same point of view, I guarantee you wont. I know because I was that man!!

 

Recent job position advertised was for a Team Leader at £10.20ph - that's hardly what I'd call "just above the minimum wage".

 

Another thing, according to their website (currently under construction), "Cope Ltd is a charity and social enterprise which provides employment and employment skill development for adults with disabilities".

 

Their entries on OSCR though state:-

 

"Purposes:

The prevention or relief of poverty,The advancement of education,The advancement of health,The advancement of citizenship or community development,The advancement of environmental protection or improvement,The relief of those in need by reason of age, ill health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage

Beneficiaries:

People with disabilities or health problems,Other charities / voluntary bodies 

 

Objectives

3.1 .I The relief of poverty and distress of adults (i.e. persons over the age of 16) with learning difficulties in Shetland by aiding them to advance into employment and pursuing any other objects for the benefit of people with learning difficulties which are now or hereafter may be deemed to be charitable in law.

3.1.2 The prevention or relief of poverty among people affected by ill-health, financial hardship or other disadvantaae throughout the world."

 

Perhaps the word "learning" is missing from their website?

I think it's been put forward previously that the only employment is with COPE itself.

[Colin]

Well never been in the place but as guided had a wee look at the facebook page bit strange really second hand metal futon 50 quid googled found brand new for 75 then fairly substantial unit 99 which looked really quite expensive then onto a couple of little chests of drawers heavily damaged 30 and 40 so seems their pricing is a bit all over the place

Yes, some of the tat stuff is way over priced but, as I said in an earlier post...  make them an offer.  If it doesn't shift after a while, what are they going to do?