Refresh café works to give vocational training

ACTOR Chris Chittell, who plays the loveable rogue Eric Pollard in Emmerdale, is to attend the official opening of a café with a difference at Halifax's historic Piece Hall at 11am on Thursday.

Refresh caf is a new enterprise run by the South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and the Calderdale Inclusion Support Service (CISS), which offers vocational training for adults who use mental health services in Calderdale.

The trust, which provides specialist mental health services to the people of Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield, is working in collaboration with CISS to give people with mental health problems the opportunity to gain fresh experiences.

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They will get the training and experience necessary to help them towards employment, voluntary work or further training.

The first trainees joined the caf in July and are already growing in confidence and gaining new skills to show to potential employers or future trainers they have the skills required to enter the workplace. And it's not just the caf that is thriving but the adjoining workshop is also buzzing with activity.

Another group of people looking to develop their vocational skills in woodwork have made all the furniture for the caf and the space will act as a showroom to show off their skills. Furniture on show will all be available for sale.

Dale Szydelko, of CISS, said: "Through Refresh we will provide training and work experience in a real working environment."