Member Article

June uses her Hands and Heart

A County Durham woman who was “full of fear” after being out of the workplace for many years is taking the plunge and starting her own business.

June Gatenby, from Tanfield Lea, is launching Hands and Heart to providing sitting and odd job services for elderly and disabled people. She had previously been a full-time carer for her mother, but she needed to find a job when her mother died.

She said: “I know when I was a carer I worried about going out and leaving my mother and knowing there was someone I could ask to sit with her and do a few jobs here and there such as sewing or even washing-up would have been a big help.”

June took a five-week Developing Skills for Employment course to boost her chances in the jobs market, which instead provided her with the confidence to set up her own business.

She said: “I was brought up using a pen and paper but realised that these days everything is done on computers so was determined to brush up on my skills, which were very basic to start with. I learnt so much and found my confidence levels were going back up again and that I was really looking forward to my sessions.”

She was referred to the course, run through Durham County Council’s Adult Learning and Skills Service and delivered by Nigel Brough, of Bespoke Training Solutions, by her landlord Derwentside Homes.

Nigel said: “These days when it comes to finding work so much is done online and, like June, many of the people I work with are looking to improve their ICT skills to help make looking for work easier.

“I’m really proud of everyone who has taken part in the sessions - seeing people grow in confidence is fantastic and June is a great example of what can be achieved with the right support.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Karen Dent .