Suffolk unemployed get boost to skills and confidence

A new programme, inspired by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which is dedicated to helping unemployed people move into work, has given opportunities to 110 Suffolk residents in its first year. 

Courses have included Open Air Event Management, Get Started with Football, and Get in the Game – Sports Event Management training. A quarter of the participants have gone on to regular volunteering, and across the region a similar number are moving into work or self-employment.

Natalie Jode, Project Manager for Creative Arts East, which is delivering Team East for Skills in Norfolk and Suffolk, said: 

“We are delighted to have found great partners to work with and so many people willing to try something new.” The project, funded by Legacy Trust UK and the European Social Fund, involves specially tailored courses and placements around arts and sports event management combined with opportunities to volunteer at local events.

Recently Creative Arts East partnered Inspire International and St John’s Housing Trust to bring Team East for Skills to Lowestoft. ‘Get in the Game’ offered residents at the Trust a chance to get involved in organising a local, live sports event as a way of building confidence, recognising existing skills and developing new skills for the work place. Gavin Drake, Managing Director of Inspire International and lead tutor on the course said: “Participants leave the programme with more desire to stretch themselves and get out of their comfort zone as a result of making a difference to the lives of others.”

St John’s Housing resident James Mason (pictured volunteering at this years Great East Swim) originally got involved with Team East for Skills to build self confidence and to help others. While progressing through the first Get in the Game course he commented: “My confidence is improving with every day that passes.” On successfully finishing the ‘warm-up’ and ‘bronze’ level activities Jim progressed to gain his ‘silver’ level award by mentoring new participants on the next programme. As a result he has realised his ambition to pursue a career in social work and said:  “My life has found a new direction and I feel after 36 years I have finally found what I’d like to do.”

The next Suffolk programmes will take place later in the year at Ipswich Town Football Club and Gainsborough Library, Ipswich. Anyone interested in finding out about these and any other programmes should contact Natalie Jode on 01953 713396 or visit www.teameast.org and click on ‘What are we doing?’.

Source: Rising to the Challenge Suffolk