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Jobs from culture change

A programme which aims to use sport and culture to increase the North East’s economic activity has been launched this week.

As part of the North East Volunteers scheme, opportunities with museums, theatre groups, and music and sports events will help people who have been out of work for a long time move back into employment.

It will give them training and mentoring support to develop new skills and qualifications, and to build their confidence for employment by taking up volunteering placements with cultural organisations and events across the region.

The programme will receive £1.4m of funding from One NorthEast over three years.

Pat Ritchie, One NorthEast’s Assistant Chief Executive (Strategy), said: “This sort of programme is a first for North East England. We’re building on good practice from other regional and national programmes, but making the most of the North East’s strong cultural sector and our unique cultural, heritage and sporting assets.

“This is a really innovative approach to getting more people into work - one of the main things we need to achieve if we are to grow the value of our economy in the long-term. As a result, other parts of the country are taking a keen interest in our research, to see how cultural volunteering could work for them, too.”

The programme will involve nine different pilots in various locations and events, including the Stockton Riverside Festival and conservation work in West Durham.

Potential volunteers for the programme will come from the pilot organisations’ community routes and partners, and through referrals from agencies such as JobCentre Plus.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .