New project helping Gainsborough women get back into work

The Just for You project is funded by the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership and the European Social Fund, through Bishop Grosseteste University and was brought to Gainsborough by Children's Links, a national children, young peoples’ and community services charity, to reach out to three groups of six women across Gainsborough.

The project aims to support unemployed women in the Gainsborough community to move towards employment or learning.

The project is delivered for a two hour session once a week for 14 weeks and it aims to support the women to make new friendships, develop new skills and plan for their futures.

It has also enabled them to support each other with self-confidence and wellbeing, in what has been a difficult time for many in the past year or so.

Karen Carless, participation and engagement worker for the Children's Links Group, said: “To date we have run two groups in Gainsborough, one based at the X Church venue, and one based at Connexions Community Hub. So far, the project has engaged with 13 ladies.

"The ladies at the Connexions Community Hub group throughout their time together have shared their craft ideas while learning new ones and have now gone on to attending other local support groups in Gainsborough such as Knit and Natter group and The Venue at Roses.

"The ladies now feel confident to engage with online courses, crafts and other groups at this venue."

Children's Links provided individual support around employability and helped with CVs and applications and speakers from LEAP and the University Campus North Lincolnshire attended the Just for You sessions at Connexions.

Karen said: “To enable people to put their skills to practical use they had to plan a project in the last four weeks that would give back to their Community.

"The group decided collectively to do a "Fun Day Fundraiser" for the Gainsborough Salvation Army.”