Promoting Employment in Enfield Happy New Year to All Our Readers
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
January/February 2015 Enfield Over 50s Promoting employment in Enfield Enfield Council has a range of projects, including a pop-up university, to help increase the employment rate in the borough he number of over 50s in Enfield who are long-term Tony Watts, Forum Secretary, pointed out that more and Tunemployed has fallen to its lowest level since March more jobs require people to apply online. “This not only 2009, according to the Labour Market Bulletin for Enfield requires the relevant computer skills, it also means that the Local Authority, Sept 2014. application will be judged initially on the inclusion of certain While this is obviously good news, unemployment rates in buzz words specified for that particular job and people have general in Enfield (8.5%) are higher than both the London to understand how to ‘play the game’.” (7.4%) and the national (6.8%) average. The council has identified certain sectors as having a So what is Enfield Council doing to try and increase the good potential for growth in the borough, including food number of employed – both among the over 50s and the manufacturing, health and social care, construction, logistics, population in general? biomedical and green projects. Brimsdown is the second largest industrial estate in London after Park Royal. The Forum invited Anna Loughlin, Acting Head of Business and Economic Development at Enfield Council, to talk about Ms Loughlin says the Council works with a range of employment at a recent meeting. organisations, colleges and voluntary groups to help people gain work or become self-employed as well as ensure people She explained that the council has four strategic ambitions: stay in work and increase their skills. • Help people to access and sustain employment She is especially excited about the plan to host a pop-up • Support local businesses to recruit local people temporary university from April-June 2015 in conjunction with • Help people to increase their skills and qualifications to Birkbeck, University of London. progress in work • Increase inward investment to the borough and number of “We plan to take over an empty shop in the heart of Enfield jobs available Town and run a wide range of activities including taster sessions, evening classes and talks aimed at helping people One initiative specifically aimed at the over 50s is the find ways to improve their skills and experience in both presence of a council officer at our regular Monday morning vocational and professional fields.” sessions at the Dugdale Centre (see ad on page 9). The project has run very successfully in other boroughs and “Lorna Clark or one of her colleagues talks to people about will require volunteers and helpers to ensure it achieves their skills, what sort of work they are looking for and what maximum impact, so watch out for further publicity about it. tools they need to get work,” explained Ms Loughlin. “The jobs market is changing all the time and, for instance, the Ms Loughlin also suggested that people could visit: structure and presentation of CVs are very different now www.tradingtimes.org.uk which seeks to link experienced older than when today’s older people first looked for work.” people to local job opportunities. Forum Meetings not to be missed Happy New Note all meetings are at 10am for 10.30 start Thursday 8 January 2015 (at Millfield House) Year to all our The Regeneration of Enfield: Sharon Strutt, Head of Enfield’s Neighbourhood Regeneration team, will outline the Council’s regeneration areas and its major plans to deliver growth within Readers. Enfield. Tuesday 20 January 2015 (at Southgate Beaumont) Dr Tim Ridge will talk about complementary therapies and the work of the charity, Enfield Centre for Natural Health,which promotes integration of therapies into the NHS. PLEASE NOTE Tuesday 27 January 2015 (at the Civic Centre) The Forum’s Office will be closed Council Leader Doug Taylor & Andrew Stafford (Cabinet member responsible for finance) and Isabel Brittain (Asst. from 4pm Friday 19 December and Finance Director) discuss the Council’s budget proposals for 2015/16 and seek Forum members’ views. will reopen on Monday 5 January For full details of all meetings see page 15 2015. RegisteredRegistered charity charity number number 1122859 1122859 www.enfieldover50sforum.org.uk www.enfieldover50sforum.org.uk President: Monty Meth President: Monty Meth January/February 2015 Enfield Over 50s Jan’s Journal Happy New Year to all our members. Feed the Children - Tanzania All that Jazz ovember seems a long way off now but the presentation given by The autumn of 2014 was a jazzed NDavid Smith at our Millfield meeting was memorable. A few years up time for the Forum, with three back, David, a former film maker, was invited at the age of 60, to set separate performances from up a branch of Feed the Children in Tanzania. Altered Harmonies (previously JR Tanzania, a fantastically beautiful Jazz) – two at Millfield Theatre’s country, home to Mount Kilimanjaro, Bar and Kitchen area and the is also one of the poorest parts of third at our Jazz and Jacket event Africa. Sadly 2.5 million Tanzania in November. The band played children under the age of 5 are mellow jazz, latin rhythms with malnourished, over 1 million are HIV a touch of funk and gospel, all positive and 65,000 babies are born adding up to hours of relaxed HIV positive. enjoyment for our members. Altered Harmonies’ playing at Millfield Schoolchildren are equally badly Thanks to them and to the 75 Theatre’s bar and kitchen area on Friday affected with 45% anaemic and members who attended. 14th November 2014 30% deficient in vitamin A leading to Rural housing in Tansania blindness and ultimately death. Feeling the cold this Winter? Against this backdrop, David described a community of easy going We will be holding a Forum Winter Fair on Friday 20 February people; Christians and Muslims living side by side and extremely well at Enfield County School for Girls in the main Hall. It is all behaved, hard-working children with a joy for living. about Information, Advice and Activities. Come along to find David’s team provided food for schoolchildren on a participatory out more about the wide range of groups and Forum affiliated model, meaning that parents and volunteers ran the programme and associations in Enfield. children were charged a small amount for the Find out about ways of food. keeping yourself and your They also addressed house warm in winter. Attend some health issues a workshop to help you – in particular getting maximise your income or free medication for to learn about dealing with worms. They also depression and other health provided some sports issues. See the ad on page equipment and 7 for more details. This is a facilities for disabled Staying healthy in winter event www.feedthechildren.org/country/tanzania/ follow up to the Older Peoples children. International Day held at the Arts Zone in Edmonton. Again Where schools had land they were encouraged to grow crops, the event is being sponsored by British Gas and Enfield providing them not only with food but with a small income from Community Action Partnership you will be able to learn more the surplus. By the time David moved on after three years, 37,000 about their Free loft and cavity wall insulation on offer for all. children were being provided with school food and due to the participatory model, the volunteers were able to continue running the Don’t forget to ring the office to put your name down for a programme after David left. An inspiration to us all. programme. ( A full report on David’s presentation is available Jan Oliver from the Forum Office – 0208 807 2076). Office and Development Manager WEA New Year VOLUNTEERS FOR NORTH MIDDLESEX highlight LEAGUE OF FRIENDS NEW SHOP Saturday January 31, 2015, 10am-12.15 The League of Friends at North Middlesex Hospital ‘Here’s Looking at You, Kid’ are opening a new shop on the ground floor selling Celebrating the 100th birthday of Ingrid Bergman with a review of her greatest films all kinds of bric a brac etc to raise money for the from Intermezzo to Autumn Sonata, Hitchock to hospital. We are looking for volunteers for 3/4 Rossellini, For Whom The Bell Tolls to Murder on hours a day. Couples are welcome to apply. Some the Orient Express … retail experience could be useful but not essential. An illustrated talk by Ruth Tosha Mulandi Enfield Baptist Church, Cecil Road, Enfield Town If you are interested and would like to start the Refreshments will be served. application process please contact, Jean Chappell Contact: Norma Chapman, 0208 882 0615 or Shirley Sandford, email [email protected] 0208 882 0207. Tickets £8 Workers’ Educational Association, Enfield and Southgate Branch Tuesday and Thursday 9.30am to 3.30pm.” 2 January/February 2015 Enfield Over 50s Make 2015 a year to remember You’ll know the old saying: ‘Another day; What message does this send out to the next generation struggling to another dollar’. Well, here we are entering make headway? Do you think we have got our priorities right when we 2015 and I reckon the same can be said of are supposed to have cleaned up the banks after they needed £150 another new year. A fresh start, another set billion of taxpayers’ money from across the world to keep them afloat, while people endured six years of economic recession and austerity? of opportunities and challenges – and some Just when we thought we were on the road to recovery, the warning old ones too that still need to be dealt with.