Green car wash scheme for Enfield

Enfield Council has agreed to launch an eco car wash scheme offering jobs for people with various disabilities at car parks across the borough.

The scheme will see people with a range of disabilities running a social enterprise car wash for Enfield Council at the Palace Gardens Multi-storey car park. If successful it would be rolled out to other council owned car parks in the borough.

The project will give people with disabilities the chance of work experience and training while offering the Future Clean system - an ecologically friendly car washing scheme which uses less than 500ml of filtered rain water to wash an average sized car. None of the water reaches the ground and all the cleaning products are biodegradable meaning thousands of litres of water will be saved compared with a conventional car washing scheme.

Enfield Council's Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Chris Bond, said: "This scheme will help people with disabilities into employment during a difficult economic period, encourage people into the town centre and improve security in the car park, so there are a whole range of social, environmental and economic benefits to this scheme.

"This initiative demonstrates our commitment to improving our town centres and supporting our traders as part of Enfield Council's wider strategy of improving and enhancing the borough's economy and proving jobs and training for its residents."

Chief Executive Officer at Enfield Disability Action, said: "Enfield Disability Action welcomes this opportunity for people with learning difficulties to gain new skills and qualifications to help them find employment. Along with our colleagues at Enfield Council we share a passion for supporting disabled people to find equality in the workplace.

"We hope that this initiative challenges the perceptions of some employers about recruiting disabled people and opens up new opportunities. Adults with learning difficulties who attend our self advocacy groups tell us that it is hard to find work and that they really enjoy work placements and new opportunities. Individuals are committed to participating in the work place and we are sure they will make excellent and motivated staff at Future Clean and hopefully elsewhere."