Confidence is the key to work

VOLUNTEERS at a Carlton community centre are doing their bit to help get local people back into employment.

The Carlton Gateway Community Centre was set up seven years ago by civic minded people who wanted to do more for their community.

Volunteers at the centre run clubs teaching everything from IT skills to plastering with the hope of boosting confidence and getting people back into work.

“We run a job club on Thursday afternoons where people can get help with writing CVs and everything to do with securing work,” said the centre’s chairman Tim Smith.

“Everything we do is run by our volunteers. We recently got an EU grant which has meant we could start a computer club teaching people basic IT skills.

“We call it a club rather than a class because we don’t tell people what they need to learn like a school or college would. We teach them what they want to learn.”

“Being a club, everyone helps each other out and there is no pressure involved. It is proving so popular that we are thinking about starting a second one, which is fantastic.”

Tim believes the key to getting people back into work is giving them the confidence they need to believe that its something they can do.

That’s why they use the resource room, where people can learn the simplest tasks like changing a fuse, up to plastering and tiling.

“By learning these new skills it gives people more confidence in themselves,” said Tim.

“They start to think if they can do that, then why are they sitting at home when they could be out there applying for jobs.”

“One person who comes here was really unsure about himself because of his size. The centre has given him the self confidence he needs to get on.”

“I encouraged two of the people who use the IT club to help me help the class, and through that they have both been given IT apprenticeships. And that was just in the first few months of the year.”

But as well as helping people learn new skills for work, the centre also runs after school clubs to support the younger members of the community.

“As well as helping out local adults we are trying to support our youngsters,” added Tim.

“The teenage club is just in the process of choosing a committee so they can decide how its run.”

“We’ve been going for seven years and the centre is now really going from strength to strength.”

“We just want to promote what we do and make sure people know that we are here.”

The centre is holding an open day on Saturday 15th September at the centre on Sycamore Road, Carlton, from 11am to 2pm.

As well as a chance to see what the centre has to offer there will be a bouncy castle and a range of stalls along with representatives from Tesco, Notts Police and the Big Lottery Fund.

The jobs club runs every Thursday at the centre from 1pm to 3pm, with help and advise on CV writing, filling in application forms and using the internet to search for jobs. The IT club runs on Tuesdays from 10am to 12pm.

To find about more about the courses at the Gateway centre and what’s else is on offer, call 01909 730766, 07410 550357 or visit the website at www.carltongateway.org.uk

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