We are incredibly grateful for our continued and growing partnership with Waitrose Worcester, a long-standing supporter of NCW and a shining example of inclusive community collaboration.
For several years, the team at Waitrose has welcomed our Sixth Form students for work experience placements—offering them not just a chance to observe, but to truly take part. Students are treated like full Waitrose Partners: trusted, supported and encouraged to develop essential workplace skills in a real-world environment.
Last week, if you happened to be shopping in Waitrose Worcester, you might have been greeted by one of our fantastic students—Ghaalib, Erik, Toby or Daniel—taking part in an exciting new phase of our work experience programme.
Throughout the week, the students showed enormous commitment and enthusiasm, throwing themselves into a variety of tasks that included:
Serving customers at the tills
Assisting on the Welcome Desk
Cleaning crates for home delivery
Fulfilling Click and Collect orders
Restocking and tidying shelves
Merchandising
And even excelling at “pot washing” in the café!
Beyond the practical tasks, our students represented NCW with positivity, professionalism and confidence—leaving a lasting impression on both customers and staff.
Steve Farr, NCW Vice Principal said:
“Experiences such as this are so valuable for our students to develop key skills to take forward into their adult lives. With only one in four people with a vision impairment in employment in the UK, the time spent with you and your Partners at Waitrose will be invaluable in helping Ghaalib, Erik, Toby and Daniel continue to build the confidence and skills they need to achieve their individual goals.”
Since returning to College, the students have been glowing with praise—enthusiastically sharing stories and memories from the week, showing just how impactful and meaningful the experience has been.
Andrew Radford, Work Experience Coordinator, added:
“On a personal note, walking into Waitrose and being greeted by one of our students in such a professional manner—with the confidence and openness of a full Waitrose Partner—filled me with genuine happiness and pride. I can only once again offer my thanks for providing our students with such a meaningful opportunity.”
More Than Just Experience
Waitrose Worcester’s support extends well beyond the work placement programme. The store is also an enthusiastic fundraising partner, regularly holding activities and events that raise both awareness and funds for the life-changing work we do at NCW.
Their commitment is helping to create brighter futures for young people with vision impairment, and we are incredibly thankful for their ongoing belief in our students’ potential.
This successful placement marks the beginning of a new chapter for NCW’s work experience initiative, and we look forward to building on this momentum in the months and years to come.
