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[music]
Stephen: I found it hard just to find a job.
Claire: When I had the kids, my partner left me.
Darren: My kids definitely didn’t know me, I was a different person.
John: Me being out of work, and it was just one big struggle.
[music]
Stephen: I found it hard just to find a job since I’ve got out.
Nigel: And I started feeling down and worried, am I going to get a job?
Glen: Being out of work, I thought, am I ever going to get another job?
David: You get depressed and I tried committing suicide.
Stephen: I felt sorry for my mum at first because
I was getting mad at my mum for it,
and I was thinking it was her fault that I hadn’t got one.
[music]
Nigel: All through the ‘Work Programme’ there was no funding
until I came to ‘Help to Work Plus’.
Stephen: I didn’t want to go anywhere else
I just wanted to have help to get a job.
David: He helped me to fill out my application forms.
Glen: It’s given me the great confidence that I need.
Stephen: To say if they could sort something out for you, to do that.
Nigel: Gave me more confidence, to be able to get work.
David: Short time after being on this course
I got a job as a cleaner at ‘Tescos’.
[music]
I’ve got epilepsy, I’ve had that since 1997.
The frequency it was two a week, three a week.
Lost my job a few years ago because of it.
Went on to benefits.
You just don’t feel that you’re good enough
to work with people or people think well he’s not safe
so I’m not going to work with him.
So that’s why I just stay in all the time.
Because if no one’s going to be out there to help you,
whose going to look after you when you do have a fit?
you know.
[music]
The funding from ‘Help to Work Plus’ helped me do
the Horticultural level two, here, which I passed.
You’ve got to try and have some sort of normality in your life.
[music]
Since doing his Horticultural qualifications
through the ‘Help to Work’ programme,
JP was enabled to apply for a job
with Rhubarb Farm.
JP’s been able to get a job with us
and he’s now economically productive.
He’s a mentor to other volunteer’s.
He supports younger staff,
and we are very, very pleased with the progress
that’s been made as a result of the help.
He had from ‘Help to Work’.
Two years ago I was on benefits, unhappy,
but now I’ve got a full-time job.
I can’t thank them enough for helping me
get the funding to do it.
And I’m blinking happy as a chappie, really am.
[music]
I had a really bad motorbike accident.
I was in Hospital for nine months.
Obviously, through having the motorbike accident
it put me out of work and I had to go on to benefits.
I found it very, very hard.
During that time I got very depressed.
I just couldn’t do anything.
I got in contact with ‘Help to Work Plus’,
and they financed all my qualifications,
with the Health and Safety, Tachograph card,
and the CSCS card.
[music]
I was passionate about working outdoors.
I heard that there was a job going at ‘Panther’s Rugby Club’.
And I applied for it, and I’ve got the job.
When we first employed John,
we were conscious that he’d been out of work for a while
and he approached the job
with the vigour that someone
who was wanting to work would.
15 years ago, I never thought
I would get another job.
And it’s just worked out now,
that everybody has helped me.
I love working outside.
I’ve always loved working outside,
and I can’t ask for a better job.
And now I’ve got one,
and I’m going to look after it.
[music]
My partner left me when I had the kids
and that’s why I ended up unemployed
because there was nobody to look after the kids.
[music]
One was only about a year old
and the other one was about three years old.
There was just no jobs around,
so it made me depressed even more.
So I went around and did another course
that actually enabled me to do it
while the kids are still young
and that’s all I’ve been doing for the past
near enough nine years and it’s [pause]
I’ve just pulled every day together
slowly with my depression.
Having to go back and forth to the Doctor’s,
and whatever, got referred on to ‘Help to Work Plus’
to help me set up my business
with the insurance and also my clothing
and things that I need to wear
and I’m a lot happier
than what I used to be.
[music]
Well, we were looking for someone
to come on and take on the first aid role at the club.
We spoke to the local college
and Claire had been there doing the First Aid course
and doing a sports massage course.
They put us in touch and we had a chat with her
and she’s taken over the role of sports massage
and First Aid at the club now.
[music]
I’ve set up my own sports massage business
at ‘Chesterfield Panther’s Rugby Club’.
I’m really happy doing that
and I feel as though I’m now going somewhere in life.
[music]
I was a Landscape Gardener.
We were all laid off and I had a stroke.
After I had the stroke,
I was basically just sat wasting away.
Problems got worse.
They were just so black, they didn’t know [pause]
my lad didn’t know where to turn.
I was getting nasty, I was getting...
I was a different person, even the wife
didn’t even really know me, my kids definitely didn’t know me.
Times I wondered if they were better off without me or not
but [pause] hey [sighing].
[music]
My wife got so concerned that
she basically just turned around and said “you need a dog”.
Which is basically what happened.
I bet she’s regretted every minute since.
[music]
After having my dog I wanted to find out
and see if it was possible to actually
make a career out of working with dogs.
Michelle, my wife actually got me
in contact with ‘Disability Dynamics’.
They dealt with the business side of it,
and they actually referred us to ‘Help to Work Plus’
who actually helped us to fund the licences
that I needed to enhance my chosen career
as a security dog handler.
After I had my stroke
I was in a very dark place,
but from that I’ve come through that
and I’ve got my own company now
and it’s..., I’ve just set up and it’s ‘K9 Shepherd Security’
and I couldn’t be any happier.
It’s been absolutely amazing.
[music]