A new independent café supporting young people with disabilities is set to open in Reading Town Centre.

Barista & Beyond, launched by the ‘Ways Into Work’ charity, will be located at 5 Alfred Street, Reading serving coffee, cakes and hot and cold food.

The charity, Ways into Work, is an organisation that supports people with a disability or disadvantage to gain and maintain employment and supports employers with their recruitment, retention and diversity needs, Changing Lives, One Job at a Time.

They said: “During this challenging cost of living crisis, supporting people into work, especially people with disabilities, is especially more important than ever.

“From a business perspective, many companies are seeking to widen and better represent the communities they serve whilst also ensuring that they have the available staff and capabilities to ensure they are sustainable enterprises, especially given the challenging economic climate and skills shortages in the hospitality sector.”

Independent café such as the new Barista & Beyond having been a rising trend over the years, mainly due to the rising number of mentally and physically disabled people who are out of work.

This includes neurodivergent people which count for 20% of the world’s population.