People living in Peasedown St John and the surrounding areas now have extra opportunities to look for employment, thanks to a new initiative.

Peasedown St John Residents’ Association, which holds weekly drop-in sessions every Tuesday morning, has teamed up with B&NES Councillor Sarah Bevan

(Independent, Peasedown St John) to ensure that anyone who needs access to the

internet to apply for a job vacancy can now do so.

Just before the Christmas break, Cllr Bevan allocated £350 from her Initiative Fund so that the Association could purchase IT equipment towards the new initiative.

She said: “I was only too pleased to provide funding to this worthwhile project. More and more voluntary groups across the country, just like Peasedown Residents’ Association, are setting up new get-back-to-work schemes so people can find employment.

“I wanted to support this new initiative so that people living in Peasedown St John, who don’t have access to the internet at home, are not excluded from internet access to job opportunities.”

Cllr Sarah Bevan’s donation has been a part of a wider funding appeal led and

coordinated by Nathan Hartley, a member of the Association and a former Cabinet Member responsible for Skills and Employment on Bath and North East Somerset Council. In total, almost £1,500 worth of equipment has been secured to kick start the new scheme. He said: “Every Tuesday morning for the last year, the Residents’ Association has run a drop-in session for residents who want a hot drink, need a friendly face to talk to, or generally want a change of scenery.

“The support from the community has been great, which has led us to launch this new ‘get-back-to-work’ scheme. So, when people come along for a cup of tea and a chat, they now have access to a range of laptops and PCs, all of which are connected to the internet, ready to be used.”

Anyone looking for work, or who needs access to the internet, can attend the sessions, held every Tuesday, from 10 am – 1 pm at St John’s Community Room, St John’s Close (BA2 8JG). For further details call: 01761 300057 or email: [email protected]

The initiative has received the support of B&NES Council, who will be referring people who visit either of the One Stop Shops in Midsomer Norton or Bath, to the Tuesday morning session.

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