Equipping neurodivergent and disabled people to turn their passions into businesses
Logan, a young person supported by our charity partner SAMEE, shares how he has been supported to set up his own business and gain more independence.
21 March 2025
Throughout our 40 year history as a Foundation, we have funded grassroots organisations serving their communities. We first funded disability charities in 1992, and since then we have worked with disability charities to provide vital services to their communities, including support to start or stay in employment, and advocating for Disabled people’s rights at a local and national level. We currently dedicate 25% of all our unrestricted funding to organisations led by-and-for Deaf and Disabled people, totalling £3.2 million in new grants last year.
One of these organisations, Bournemouth-based SAMEE (Support and Mentoring Enabling Entrepreneurship), supports young people with a learning difficulty, a disability or who are neurodivergent to start their own business. Through inclusive and accessible teaching, peer mentoring and one-to-one guidance, SAMEE has supported more than 900 disabled people to develop the skills needed to successfully start self-employment.
We heard from Logan, a young person who has been supported by SAMEE for two years and is currently part of their self-employment internship, about his experience with the charity.
I've always wanted to start my own business because the way I see it is, if you can't adapt to the world, you can adapt the world around you. Ever since I joined SAMEE, I’ve been under their wing and they've been showing me how to set up the foundations for my business – such as website design, online banking, profit margins and researching customer interests.
My business is focused on making and selling Celtic jewellery, scrap modelling and artwork. I’ve been doing it for quite a few years as a hobby but since I’ve been supported by SAMEE, I’ve been trying to turn my passions into a business and a way to make income so that I can support myself.
For many people with disabilities, or who are neurodivergent, a 9-5 job is never going to suit them. So, we encourage the people we support to turn their hobby into a business where they can adjust their hours and health needs around their business, rather than the other way around.
The key to the success of our internship programme is that it’s non-linear, it's incredibly bespoke and flexible. Education generally takes a one size fits all approach, and it’s very linear, which does not suit people who are neurodivergent. Whereas we can adapt to the needs of the participants. If we need to do shift and do something completely different, we're not bound by the constraints of a curriculum. We have a very loose framework which suits all of our interns.
– Rob Amey, SAMEE Young Person Lead
Wayne Ingram, Chief Impact Officer at SAMEE, with Logan
Jewellery designed and made by Logan
A flexible approach to education
I attend SAMEE’s self-employment supported internship four days a week, where I can connect with other people at a similar stage of setting up their business and get advice from a range of experts who come in to speak to us. Getting insights into setting up a business has been really helpful. I’ve tried different groups to help me because of my disabilities, but they haven’t really worked for me.
My experience is that educational courses are often more focused on the results than the actual people. So instead of tailoring education around each individual, they just follow the same process for everyone. I’ve found the SAMEE groups a lot easier than being in a school or business environment because it feels more informal and natural. I would say the best thing about SAMEE is the fact that it's a lot more down to earth and everything is quite flexible.
Enabling access to banking
The staff at SAMEE always support me the best they can, even when I’m not attending a group in-person they will stay in touch with me via text or email. One of the things SAMEE has helped me with is opening a bank account, which was a real challenge for me because I didn’t have a photo ID or proof of address. I have no passport because I’ve never been abroad, and I am not eligible for a driving licence as I have epilepsy. I live with my parents, so all the household bills were in their names.
Through the connection with Lloyds Bank Foundation, SAMEE was able to get in touch with staff at Lloyds Bank head office to try to find a solution. Eventually, I was able to set up an account at my local Lloyds branch with a GP letter and a letter from DWP with my address on. I am happy to finally have my bank account open! It’s a crucial part of setting up my business, and now I have that sorted I can move forward with other things.
With everything moving digital now, I feel that many young people with disabilities may become more and more marginalised - particularly if they cannot set-up a bank account, as this is part of them gaining independence. Credit must go to Lloyds Bank for pulling out all the stops so that Logan could open an account, and I have been delighted to recommend them to our other young people ever since.
– Rob Amey, SAMEE Young Person Lead
Taking steps towards independence
I had my epilepsy diagnosis back in 2015 and in the following years, I tried lots of different medications which weren't always working well. This had a big impact on my life. Having seizures in classrooms made me even more introverted than I already was. Eventually in 2019, I got a benign tumour on my brain removed and now my seizures are less frequent.
Since being supported by SAMEE, I’ve grown in confidence. My hopes for the future are to gain a greater sense of independence and achievement for myself. I lost this to some extent because of my epilepsy diagnosis, but hopefully I can start to support myself a lot better. I’m focused on taking one step closer towards freedom, so my condition doesn't define me as a person.
Find out more about SAMEE by visiting their website: sameecharity.org
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