Teresa Pope, 61, lives in Cardiff and works in a charity shop, and Emily Burnett, 26, is an ambassador for Mencap alongside her acting work. The pair sat down with Big Issue for a chat about careers, achievements, and a message of hope for what life with a learning disability can bring.
Pope, who has a learning disability, spent 28 years working at Culverhouse Cross M&S – a shop made famous as the branch Stacey works at in the sitcom Gavin and Stacey. A Mencap scheme called Quest, which helped get people with learning disabilities into secure employment, was the impetus. Someone from the scheme went into M&S with Pope in the first week to do the job alongside her and help her learn her role. She now works at a charity shop.
