Clare Farley (centre) and Kellie Bradburn-Sims with Rob Pittam of BBC TV’s Working Lunch programme.
The Return to Work scheme, delivered by Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency (CREA), will be featured on next week’s BBC Working Lunch programme. Clare Farley, who was helped to set up her own Pinfold Pottery business, through the scheme, was interviewed by Rob Pittam at her home near Penrith on Wednesday (6 January).
“Rob arrived with one cameraman in all the snow and filmed me at work and then talked to me about how the Return to Work scheme has helped me,” said Clare. “It was nerve-wracking but the chance to take part seemed too good to miss.
Kellie Bradburn-Sims, CREA’s Employment Broker for the scheme, was also interviewed about how the scheme works and its future once funding stops in June 2010.
“The Return to Work scheme is all about getting people who have been on incapacity benefit for more than six months back into work,” explained Kellie. “Our role is to help both employers and potential employees to make the first steps and improve the situation in Cumbria.”
She went on: “It is a very personalised approach to support – not only training and CV writing but also practical support on interviews, transport subsidies, work clothing and the intangible aspects of building confidence and exploring new options. We need to enrol as many people as possible in the next couple of months to make sure that the remaining funding is well-used and making a positive difference for people in Eden and South Lakes.”
The Return to Work programme has been active across Cumbria since early in 2008, commissioned by Cumbria County Council and the NWDA. CREA provides the practical delivery of support in Eden and South Lakes.
Bob Clark is Executive Director of CREA: “Our programmes are delivering valuable practical support to people in the area who want to work, whatever their past circumstances. The Cumbrian economy needs to make the most of all the skills that are available and it is encouraging to see people bouncing back from illness, wanting to find or create new opportunities for employment.”
Full details of CREA’s programmes, advice services and activities can be found at www.crea.co.uk.
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