Aylesbury’s Lucy Cox started a new job this week at the Business Support Centre during Disability Employment Awareness Month.

Lucy, aged 32, is a tenant at Aylesbury Supported Living for adults with learning disabilities, which is run by the Trust. She applied for the role of supporting and welcoming new recruits to the organisation’s Business Support Centre, who are embarking on the comprehensive corporate induction programme.

Lucy is one of 13.9 million people living with a disability in the UK*. A caring and kind-hearted person, she enjoys making others feel at ease and was thrilled to accept a role at the Trust which enables her to greet new members of the team and make them feel welcome.

Disability Employment Awareness Month is a national campaign held in October to raise awareness about employment issues for disabled people, and celebrates the many and varied contributions to society of people living with a disability.

While 19% of working adults in the UK are disabled, statistics show that disabled people are more than twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people.** However, it is claimed that a 10 percentage point rise in the employment rate among disabled adults would contribute an extra £12 billion to the Exchequer by 2030.***

Lucy is keen to make a valuable contribution in the employment world and will benefit from the support of her colleagues at the Business Support Centre, as well as the team from Aylesbury Supported Living. Office manager and PA to the chief executive, Carey Burden, will be working closely with Lucy, overseeing her and supporting her with the transition into the new role.

Commenting on her appointment, Lucy said:

I love showing people around and think it is very exciting to meet new people.

Carey Burden from the Trust, added:

It’s so timely that Lucy’s appointment ties in with the national awareness campaign, which demonstrates the importance of ensuring equality of access to career opportunities.  Lucy is an excellent addition to the team and has great interpersonal skills. With kindness and compassion in abundance, she is a wonderful ambassador for our values.