Member Article

Job club gets to the core of the matter in Calverton

An established job club that runs twice a week for residents in Calverton, Nottinghamshire can continue thanks to £10,000 from the Coalfields Community Investment Fund (CCIP), delivered by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.

Taking place at The CORE Centre, the series of workshops that are delivered by professional coaching and mentoring specialists will improve the employability of local people.

Hoping to engage with around 40 individuals, the funding will be used to pay a team of three trained Coaches to deliver the project that is set to run for the next twelve months. Rather than have allocated times, residents will be welcomed to drop in sessions on Monday and Thursday each week making the support more accessible.

Working with individuals to overcome the unique barriers that they face to finding suitable jobs, the workshops will take a more holistic approach to deliver longer-term coping strategies for those that are typically hardest to reach.

It is hoped that by removing or alleviating the challenges that people have, they will put into practice the skills to identify opportunities to reach their potential and the tactics that they need to find work.

Job Club Manager at The CORE Centre, Tim Cusworth, comments: “The truth is that things are getting harder. People have more complex needs, and we need to work on these first. It isn’t a case of logging on and finding a job, we must get to the root cause of the problem and then go from there.

“People want to work, they just don’t know how to go about it. We want to give them all the support and signposting they need to make the most of any opportunities that come their way. Thanks to this latest round of funding we can extend our programme and appoint professionals to deliver the workshops that will make all the difference.”

Development Manager at the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, Lynn Utting, comments: “It is thanks to the services that organisations just like The CORE Centre offer that make a lasting difference within our communities. Without these valued services there would be nowhere for these people to go.

“These places act as a lifeline and that’s why we are calling upon government to reinstate funding so that we can do more. We have the contacts and the infrastructure in place, we now need the investment to allow us to have a bigger impact for future generations.”

Taking place at The CORE Centre, which was established in 1994 following the closure of Calverton pit in 1993, this activity will build on others that are already offered. Focusing on developing local people’s employability, life skills and sign-posting to training and advice, this will be a further service that is provided free of charge to local people.

As The CORE Centre has become a member of Coalfield Community Investment Programme it will continue to be supported by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust and will receive bespoke practical support that includes everything from access to resources and services such as help with third-party funding applications and bid-writing, to tips on effective promotion and marketing.

The Coalfields Community Investment Programme supports organisations and programmes of activity that meet with three key criteria; to address skills, employment or health and wellbeing.

Established in 1999, the Coalfields Regeneration Trust is the only organisation dedicated to supporting former mining towns and villages.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Nick Hill .