Flint charity's programme offers places for 27 jobless

A charity that helps the jobless back into work is to offer places for 27 people from Flintshire and Wrexham.

Refurbs Flintshire, a furniture and electrical appliance re-use charity based at Aber Park, Flint, will start a one-year, £160,000 scheme on 28 June.

The charity will recruit three groups of nine jobless for 16 weeks' paid work experience and training.

General manager Cheryl Nance said the programme would "help enormously in their efforts to find permanent jobs".

Refurbs Flintshire receives donations of household items - from sofas and wardrobes through to televisions and fridges - and redistributes them to the local community.

The charity's EU-funded project will be co-ordinated by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA).

The work placements will be in carpentry and joinery, electrical appliance repair and testing, furniture refurbishment and restoration, customer service and administration, and operational activity, said the charity.

The places will be on offer to young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) and unemployed or economically inactive people aged 50 plus, it said.

The successful applicants will be provided with accredited training and job search support with the aim of finding them sustainable employment by the end of their placement.

Ms Nance said: "We are very pleased to be able to offer yet more useful opportunities to people who want to work but are finding it difficult to secure employment at the moment.

"Past experience has shown repeatedly that the work experience they get, plus the job search support and safety qualifications, will help enormously in their efforts to find permanent jobs."