Overcoming barriers to employment: Blue Sky Services feature in landscaping trade press

As the leading trade association and accreditation body for the UK landscaping sector, BALI supports businesses and professionals across the landscaping industry. BALI also celebrates innovation and excellence in its news and trade press, sharing best-practice case studies from across the sector.

Blue Sky Services provides grounds and car park maintenance services across London and the Home Counties, with the feature article also detailing its business model — which includes employing people who might otherwise face barriers to employment.

Aligning with Forward's mission and values, Blue Sky Services trains and recruits people with lived experience of addiction, the criminal justice system, and other barriers to employment.

One of the key themes that recurs throughout the article is the belief that people should not be defined by their past. With the right support and opportunity, individuals - regardless of their past - can develop the necessary skills and confidence to succeed in a new career.

Tevfick (Tev) Souleiman, Head of Enterprise at Forward, is interviewed throughout the article, where he shares his pride in leading a successful landscaping service that also provides meaningful employment opportunities for people facing barriers to work.

Speaking about the importance of opportunities for people who face employment barriers, Tev drew parallels between Blue Sky Services employees and individuals whom Forward typically helps transform through its specialist prison and community services, saying:

“Many are willing and able to change. What they need is an opportunity and someone to believe in them. They’re an untapped resource. When they’re given an opportunity, they tend to grab it with both hands. It’s not something they take for granted.”

We’d like to thank BALI Landscape News for highlighting the work of Blue Sky Services and helping to showcase how employment, support and opportunity can transform lives.

Whether you’re looking for a trusted grounds maintenance provider or want to find out more about how Blue Sky Services creates social value through employment, we’d love to hear from you.

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