Long-term unemployed given holiday park life-line (From Clacton and Frinton Gazette)

Long-term unemployed given St Osyth holiday park life-line

7:30am Thursday 18th October 2012 in News

A HOLIDAY park has employed 17 people who have been out of work for years.

The Orchards resort in St Osyth brought in the mass of jobless strugglers with help from back-to-work programme Igneus.

Igneus aims to help the long-term unemployed find work again.

Two of the successful candidates, green-fingered groundsmen Sam Dench from Point Clear and Neil Fitchett from Clacton, had been out of work for eight years between them.

Sam, 24, said: “It is easy to become de-motivated when you’re out of work for a long time but Ingeus really encouraged me and then put me forward for this job.

“I love having a reason to get up in the morning again and it’s great talking to the holidaymakers.”

General manager at The Orchards, Gary Cook said: “Having recruited people from the work programme at my previous park, I knew there were skilled local people out there ready and willing to work if they were just given a chance.

“It is important for us to employ people who know the local area and can talk knowledgeably and enthusiastically to the guests.”