Café Joyeux

The issue:

Many people with disabilities still face barriers to access healthcare, education and jobs. In fact, people with learning difficulties such as intellectual and developmental disabilities are twice more likely to be unemployed, and only a minority can work in a typical business environment. This means people with disabilities have a lack of financial autonomy and are at risk of poverty and social exclusion. 

The project: 

Café Joyeux prides themselves on being the first coffee brand and family of café-restaurants that contributes to the professional inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. At the beginning of 2025, Café Joyeux employed 205 people with learning difficulties and their goal is to support a further 300 people by 2030.

Croda Foundation awarded the endowment fund Source de Joie, sole shareholder of Café Joyeux, a grant of £20,000 over 12 months. This funding will enable two apprenticeships to embark and complete Café Joyeux’s training programme. The apprenticeship provides full-time paid work in one of their cafés alongside qualified education. Each beneficiary will undertake 835 hours of training over the course of two years to help them acquire necessary skills in the food and service sector and to develop their self-confidence and relational skills. This training is delivered by the Centre de Formation des Apprentis Joyeux, run by the endowment fund Source de Joie. Upon completing the programme, the apprentices will receive a diploma recognised by the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Economic Inclusion in France.

To learn more about endowment fund Source de Joie, visit its website.