A group of volunteers in Brampton have collaborated with Huntingdonshire District Council (HDC) in a bid to help locals relaunch their careers.

Brampton Job Club (BJC) has been launched to support people in the village, not only to assist them in finding a vacancy in the short-term but guide them towards a successful career.

From identifying the key skills of the individual to cover-letter writing and interview techniques, BJC’s six volunteers can lean on their own working experience to give something back to the community.

All six of the individuals have undergone relevant HDC-provided professional training and have DBS security clearance.

One of BJC’s volunteers, Peter Finnigan, said: “Unemployment statistics are not just numbers, they represent real people and their families, right here in Brampton, who are impacted by what can be the devastating effect of losing a job.

“The free service we offer is to lend a helping hand to those seeking employment or even a change of direction. We offer practical help in assessing options, finding opportunities and presenting their skills in the best possible light. “

Cllr Simon Bywater, executive councillor for Community Resilience and Well-Being at HDC, said: “As the country has moved from response to recovery, the desire by the community to help others still remains.

"This was, therefore, the perfect opportunity to upskill identified Brampton residents to enable them to help others living in the village who have been or are at risk of being made unemployed.

“From this vision, the Brampton Job Club was created. A group of kind, caring, willing and passionate local residents who have received extensive training to help anyone from the village who is looking for help to secure employment, re-train or start their own business.

“This supports the district council’s vision of ‘Good Start, Good Place, Good Health and Good Work’, and we are extremely grateful to be partnering with them on this project.”

BJC is one of the services on offer from Brampton Village Hub, which has ties to Brampton Surgery, Alzheimer’s Society, Hinchingbrooke Hospital, RAF Benevolent Fund, Cambridgeshire County Council and Huntingdonshire District Council.