Clients of a special needs charity will be going to work in America as part of an innovative exchange programme.

Two Jewish Asda staff from north Manchester will fly to Boston in October to work for retail giant Wal-Mart for three weeks. In return, a Jewish Wal-Mart employee will take a temporary job at Asda. The British participants, who will be named next month, will also be hosted by the Boston Jewish community.

The swap has been organised by the Langdon Community, supporting Jewish adults with learning disabilities in Manchester and Edgware. Chief executive Robert Mutch said the scheme used well-known retailers to raise awareness about the capabilities in the workplace of people with learning problems.

“We believe firmly that people with disabilities have a right to ordinary housing, an ordinary job and an ordinary life.
“But sometimes you have to provide something extraordinary in the lives of people with disabilities because they seldom get that opportunity,” he added.

The venture has opened the way for Langdon to partner with three organisations in New York and Israel, with which it hopes to pilot further exchange programmes.