West Lea in the Green, 6 N Mall, Edmonton Green, London N9 0EH

The Learning for Life charity was formed through a unique partnership between West Lea School (based in Edmonton) and the local community. West Lea is a school that provides education to children with special educational needs from the ages of 4-19. The school and the charity have a shared ethos, believing that to truly flourish children and young people must feel valued and as such, we should focus on what each child or young person can achieve and celebrate their successes.

This shared ethos, which is embodied by the charity's trustees, has enabled our charity to establish two shops that serve the local communities in which they are located (Enfield Town and Edmonton Green). Children and young people from across the community with learning difficulties are able to access the shops and gain valuable work experience. In addition, the shops provide volunteering opportunities for members of the local community who are seeking to reintegrate into the world of work and further support young and vulnerable people in the community by being a CHiPS community help point. The donated goods that we receive are prepared by the children and volunteers and sold at low prices to the local community or via our EBay store.  We continue to build on this successful foundation, striving to provide ‘chances’ for the young people we serve