John from Wigan, who is enabled by ubu to live with greater independence, has recently started taking an adult learning course called ‘Back on Track’ a local programme that enables vulnerable people to make lasting, positive changes in their lives. “As part of the course I will be working in the community café on a voluntary basis. I will be working once a week from 9am to 1pm, I’m really looking forward to it. My role will include stock rotation, cleaning, general tidying, and vegetable preparation.” John is determined to get the training and experience he needs to find the kind of work he wants in the future. “This course is going to be a good starting point for me, I will be building on the skills I already have from previous courses I’ve completed. These are Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) and Food Safety”. John has decided to take charge of this part of his life, he says he wants to find paid employment as soon as possible. “I want to use the skills I’ve learned to have a job that means something to me, that I enjoy doing”.
Niall, from Middlesbrough has been working as a volunteer for the British Heart Foundation for some time, but at the beginning of this year he was very disappointed when the charity shop he was working in was forced to close. Niall didn’t want to get despondent about it and so he took the initiative and set off, with support from his ubu enablers and family, to look for somewhere else to work. Niall visited most of the shops in his local area, wrote letters and telephoned around offering his services to businesses nearby. Eventually he was offered some work experience as a volunteer in a with help he got a Middlesbrough electrical store. It was definitely worth the effort and persistence Niall put in to looking for the kind of work he wants because he has now working again for the British Heart Foundation in a new charity shop where he sells badges to raise money for the charity. Niall has been nominated for the Volunteer of the Year Award which is a nationwide competition. He’s over the moon at getting this recognition for all the work he has contributed to his community and very proud of himself to be nominated for such a prestigious national competition.
William from Blackpool is also looking for new opportunities to become more independent in the future. “I’ve been visiting and performing in theatre shows at The Grand since I was young lad. I heard about a chance to volunteer at the theatre and made an application with a small bit help from my ubu enabling team.”
“I was selected to become one of the volunteers as part of the group; ‘Friends of the Grand Theatre’. I have been completing my training and learning about the different aspects of my new job. I getting valuable customer service experience, helping people who come and giving them information. I’m hoping to use all this experience I’m gaining and that it will lead onto finding the kind of paid work, hopefully in a theatre, I’m looking for.”
