The NOW Group is an award-winning social enterprise and charity based in Belfast and Dublin, dedicated to creating sustainable employment opportunities and training for people with learning difficulties, neurodiverse conditions, ADHD and autism.  

First launched in Belfast in 2001, the landscape for individuals with intellectual disabilities or neurodivergent conditions was stark. Fast forward almost 25 years, the NOW Group, is making a tremendous impact on thousands of people and their families across Ireland.  

The Employment and Training services provided by NOW Group focus on supporting people into open employment through a model of individual progression, working with people in their local community and environment. NOW Group provide a number of services for their participants and are currently supporting over 2000 individuals to have better health, a better education and a brighter future. The charity’s services are continually evolving as a result of co-design, participant feedback and project learning.

At the heart of the NOW Group’s mission is its commitment to empowering individuals to gain skills and access to meaningful employment. It achieves this through tailored employment academies, which provide participants with industry-specific training and work placements, and through their social enterprise businesses Loaf Catering and Cafes and Loaf Pottery.

One of the best-known contributions from the NOW Group is the JAM (“Just A Minute”) Card® - a simple tool that allows people with invisible disabilities to discreetly ask for patience in everyday interactions. It’s a very successful initiative with over 182,500 users and 3, 000 global organisations regarded as being JAM Card Friendly.

The NOW Group’s impact is driven by innovation, dedication, and an unwavering focus on changing lives for the better.