A PROJECT for people with learning disabilities has been contracted to provide the catering for borough council meetings.

The Cafe Project, based at The Dome, in Brighton Hill, was set up in 2010 to provide supported training and employment opportunities for people with learning disabilities, in order to help improve their confidence and participation in society.

The charity has now been asked to supply buffets for borough council meetings.

The borough’s in-house restaurant closed in March to save money, but catering is still required for meetings, many of which start at 6.30pm.

Councillor Ranil Jayawardena, deputy leader of the borough council, said: “We are keen to look for new and innovative ways of delivering services that are better value for money.

“When we decided to no longer have a staff restaurant with in-house catering, we made a significant saving to help keep council tax low.

“But this also gave us the chance to create a new partnership with the community that provides real work experience for local young people and a source of funding for a worthwhile cause.”

As previously reported, Basingstoke College of Technology has been asked to provide the catering for mayoral functions.