With the closure of the popular Community Employability Office on Ferry Road Drive, it is good to know that there is still a locally based support service ready and able to help residents of North Edinburgh find and make the most of available job, training, education or volunteering opportunities and to assist with a range of health and welfare issues (writes Ann Confrey).
Since 2003 Community Renewal, a not for profit organisation, has been working to transform communities by engaging and supporting people to get involved in community activity and to improve health, learning and employment.
In 2008 Community Renewal extended it’s reach to include Edinburgh, opening offices to embark on area focused projects initially in Muirhouse and latterly Craigmillar.
Community Renewal staff work with unemployed people including those who may have significant barriers to accessing opportunities, with their overall aim to break through these barriers to reduce unemployment and health inequalities.
Through an open ended listening process people are supported to identify where they would like to make a change in their own lives and in their community and encouraged to take positive steps towards this.
James Riordan, Team Leader at the Muirhouse project explains how the team work: “At each Community Renewal Centre the door is always open and people can drop in for a chat and cup of tea. The biggest barrier people face to improving their lives can be lack of confidence so it is important to create an environment that is friendly and safe.
“We take a people first approach to help deal with a range of issues and, most importantly, to gain the trust of the people we come into contact with. Once we have gained the trust of an individual we learn about the real or perceived barriers that they need support to overcome. We build on the initial trust step by step until we are able to discuss and develop a personal plan that focuses on improving the individuals’ personal health and economic activity.
“We also look to tackle some of the environmental and social problems that contribute to stress, ill-health and low morale in the neighbourhood. This is part of Community Renewal’s holistic approach to breaking the cycle of decline”.
The UK and Scottish Governments have produced numerous programmes and spent many billions of pounds aimed at local regeneration, encouraging people into work and improving health. There is recognition that to be sustainable, neighbourhood regeneration cannot just be about bricks and mortar but must address employment and social issues in tandem. Otherwise the cycle of decline is not broken.
Despite this, figures collated in 2010 show that Scotland has more people in receipt of out-of-work-benefits than the average for Great Britain and that two-fifths of all working-age claimants of out-of-work disability benefits are under the age of 45.
In Scotland alone there are around 20,000 young people aged 16-19 not in work, education or training. In some housing estates and inner city areas only 1 in every 2 adults is economically active.
Figures from ONS population survey Oct 2010 – Sept 2011 show that in the Edinburgh North and Leith Parliamentary Constituency alone there are 12,800 economically inactive people. 9,460 are of working age and claiming benefits of some kind and of these 4,700 people over the age of 16 are registered unemployed.
Yet the same source (2008 figures) cites that there were 96,200 jobs on offer in the area. 66,000 of these were full time positions offering an attractive average pay of £512.00 per week.
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/wpca/1929380436/report.aspx#tabwab
What is clear is that many residents of North Edinburgh and Leith are not easily accessing suitable jobs when they become available.
This is where Community Renewal can make a difference. They understand that people who are unemployed and particularly those who may find themselves long term economically inactive or who have a range of health or family difficulties do not always find it easy to motivate themselves to make positive changes in their lives.
The team take steps to understand what is really holding people back and what their real motivators for personal change are before encouraging and supporting them to take positive steps forward.
‘Partnership’ is today’s buzz-word in service delivery. But Community Renewal believes that the real challenge is in making this work at the grass roots level.
“All too often people find themselves referred from one agency to another completing endless forms and providing the same information over and over again until they end up confused, demoralised and eventually become lost in the system.
“Community Renewal aims to widen the range of services working effectively together for the benefit of the individual and the community as a whole. From housing departments, schools and colleges to NHS initiatives – we try to provide a simple and seamless process with one point of contact.
“We take the time to learn about the needs of the person and support them through the various services that can help – even bringing the service to them if necessary” adds James.
Next time you are in the area, don’t pass by, call in for a cup of tea and a friendly chat – it could mark the start of a whole new you!!
Success
The results speak for themselves, with over 3000 people involved with the projects finding jobs, over 1000 moving into training, education or volunteering and around another 1000 others taking active measures to improve their health and wellbeing.
Contact Community Renewal:
From pilot schemes supported by Glasgow City Council and European funding Community Renewal now has 50 staff plus a host of volunteers making a difference in communities across Scotland.
See how your local team can help you make a difference at:
Edinburgh – Muirhouse
(North Hub), Unit 13, 11 Pennywell Court
Muirhouse Shopping Centre, Edinburgh EH4 4TZ
Telephone 0131 332 8773
muirhouse@communityrenewal.org.uk
http://www.communityrenewal.org.uk
Ann Confrey