SARAH DANN-HOARE
Disability Education / Training
As a special needs transition teacher, Sarah Dann-hoare understood full well the di culties people with mild to moderate disabilities could have nding a job when they le school. Her mission to support them led to opening New Zealand’s rst training café for neurodiverse young adults, in Takapuna. The programme was so successful that, in partnership with Air New Zealand, a second Flourish Café opened in Auckland’s CBD late last year – so Sarah now has trainees and interns on both sides of the bridge. Through Project Employ, they come for a six-month stint where they are supported by job coaches and get to experience all aspects of the business. They learn the basics of how to talk to new people, take on new tasks, make suggestions and speak up for themselves. “It’s incredible to watch them grow in self-con dence,” she says. “They leave with entry-level hospitality skills and, importantly, the self-belief that they are employable.” As if the satisfaction of seeing the results of this initiative wasn’t enough, Sarah has more to be proud of. Recently, she was recognised with the Paul Harris Fellow Award from Rotary Takapuna for her many years working in the disability sector, including her role in establishing Project Employ and the Flourish Cafés. But it’s Sarah who feels fortunate: “I'm so proud of these amazing, hard-working young people who inspired me to open a café that provides a stepping stone to employment. I am lucky to be able to meet so many of them through the training programme.” projectemploy.nz