The Coalfields Regeneration Trust, the only organisation dedicated to supporting former mining communities throughout the UK, has appointed Helen Murphy as Community Employment and Enterprise Coach.
Having previously worked for Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council in its Adult Skills and Employment Service, Helen will use the skills she has developed during the course of her career to improve the skills and employability of residents in Athersley.
Joining the Communities that Work Programme, which has been created to address the complex needs and ongoing challenges faced by the coalfields, Helen will redirect resource and develop initiatives that will have a direct and lasting impact on those who live in the area.
Facilitating local skills and employment services, including delivering various training methods, job clubs, volunteering and employment workshops, she will also identify the individual needs of the community and its members via IAG services and outreach locations.
Helen comments: “The Coalfields Regeneration Trust has a fantastic reputation for making a difference to the lives of people living in deprived and hard to reach communities. This is what attracted me to the role and I am very much looking forward to making a difference to the people who live in Athersley.
“I know that my job will be challenging, especially when it comes to addressing the complex needs of individuals and changing perceptions about the opportunities that exist, but I am really looking forward to getting out there.”
Acknowledging the wide-ranging challenges that are faced by former mining towns and villages, over the next two years the Communities that Work Programme will focus on five coalfield areas throughout the UK that continue to suffer from acute deprivation.
Falling in the top 10% most deprived communities in the country, Athersley was identified as one of the areas that could benefit from strategic support.
Through the Communities that Work Programme, the Coalfields Regeneration Trust will directly engage with and work alongside local employers and strategic partners, including Barnsley Premier Leisure (BPL) and Berneslai Homes, to give those that are most vulnerable the support that they need to gain skills, qualifications and where possible employment.
Extending a relationship that spans several years, Berneslai Homes will align the Communities that Work Programme with the services that it already delivers to support tenants back into either work or training.
With facilities across Barnsley, Bassetlaw, Doncaster and Pontefract, BPL will work alongside the Coalfields Regeneration Trust to offer fitness schemes and programmes, which it hopes will enhance its impact upon some of the hardest to reach individuals in these communities. It will also extend employment opportunities to help to address the ongoing unemployment issues within the coalfields.
Lynda Chapman, Strategic Lead on Employment Skills and Training for the Coalfields Regeneration Trust comments: “With the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) figures revealing that 42% of people living in Athersley have no qualifications and only 32% are in full-time employment, falling worryingly behind the national average, we need to do all we can to change this.
“When it comes to helping these communities we know that one size doesn’t fit all. In order to have a real and lasting impact we need people working on the ground to identify the individual needs of each area and its residents. Helen already has the skills, knowledge and discretion it takes to tackle the often sensitive issues faced by locals. We’re extremely pleased to welcome her to the team and look forward to seeing the positive impact her appointment has in Athersley.”
For further details about the Communities that Work Programme and the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, please visit: http://www.coalfields-regen.org.uk/.
