Step-mother's campaign to get Down's Syndrome man a job

The campaign to find Ben a job has attracted worldwide attention. Credit: Fiona Hodge

A jobseeker with Down's Syndrome has been given a boost in his hunt for employment after a Twitter campaign started by his step-mother saw him offered work.

Ben Small, 26, from Kensington in Liverpool has qualifications in catering but has never been paid a wage, despite having worked for a number of well-known chains.

Frustrated at his lack of success in the jobs market, Small's step-mother Fiona Hodge tweeted using the hashtag #GiveBenAJob.

With the help of others - including comedians Boothby Graffoe and Jason Manford - the campaign took off, and soon the story was attracting global attention.

Speaking to ITV News, Fiona Hodge said: "We’ve had quite a few requests for his CV, which I sent out last night, but we have also had three really positive responses from people ready to meet him ASAP with a view to offering work.

One is a family run restaurant on Derby Lane called Wilson’s Kitchen, one from Costa Coffee in Liverpool Royal Hospital and from a school for young people with autism in Huyton."

Small's father said the social media campaign was "fantastic" - adding: "Hopefully it will lead to Ben getting work and proving his worth to everyone"

Any job offers for Ben can be sent to givebenajob@mail.com.