Are you currently searching for a job locally? Bemused by the government's policy of closing down jobcentres in the middle of a recession? Stunned by the uselessness of the jobcentre anyway?
How about a jobclub by and for local unemployed people?
We need local jobhunting facilities and the only way to get them is do it ourselves. I have made enquiries and have found that we could hire Lydney Library once a week in a morning or afternoon, have the use of the computers in private and also local newspapers are available there.
This gives us the opportunity to break the isolation of unemployment, give people a focus to their jobseeking and the chance to help each other with applications, online jobhunting, in-work benefits and grants, maybe even finding advice on business start-up.
I am sure there are a lot of other good ideas out there too. Mainly though I can't the only one who would like to have some company and support in what can be quite a daunting task these days. As workfare looms there will never be a better time for unemployed people to get themselves organised.
Anyone interested please contact Maggie via [email protected]">[email protected] – Margaret Devlin.