Jobs and Business
Retail Training Course
Caia Park Communities First Ltd consulted with local residents on what thoughts they had on how to embrace the new retail opportunities that were going to be available in Wrexham in the new Eagles Meadow development. Retail Training, was the response, to have the skills and ability to apply for jobs. This is in keeping with the Jobs, Business, and Skills theme of the Caia Park Communities First Strategy and Action Plan, which addresses issues around economic activity and inactivity. Raising opportunity to access and sustain quality employment is fundamental to the well being of the community of Caia Park.
The first training course ran in February 2008 supported by Debenhams who held a community event and selected residents to attend a job preparation course within their own organisation. Some applicants were successful and gained employment within Debenhams. The retail courses proved to be a huge success and the first round was completed in May 2008 which then complemented the newly opened Eagles Meadow Development. The second course within the programme is started at the end of May and the third in September 2008. The fourth course took place in February 2009. A number of residents took part in the course and have gone onto gain employment in the retail sector or onto further training/ education. The celebration to complement the retail courses took place on April 27th with a employment and education information day held at the Erlas training and conference centre in Bryn Estyn Lane.
The event was attended by Sainsbury's, Glyndwr University, Job Centre Plus, Caia Park Partnership and Wrexham iTec.
These organisations attended to support the retail courses by promoting the core values of their organisations and ways in which residents can access the services offered by them. All those participatns who attended on the day committed themselves to furthering their options within returning to work.
We will now pursue a further course utilising the best parts of the retail courses and provide a higher level of training to interested participants.
Caia Park New 2 You
Furniture Recycling Social Enterprise
New 2 You started as a small project run by a group of local voluntary residents collecting unwanted furniture from homes within Wrexham County Borough and selling it on at low cost to members of the public. Since starting in December 2004 with support and guidance from Communities First it has grown in size and stature to be almost unrecognisable. The original business began with a small shop premises on Churchill Drive and over the years has diversified in order to increase turnover, provide additional services and meet the costs of running the business. Furniture recycling remains at the core of the business and the company has earned a well-deserved reputation for being able to provide good quality furniture at low cost. The overall success of this venture has enabled them to move to a much larger premises (the former Queensway Sports and Social Club) with enhanced facilities of a Community Café and a children's play area which now offers a community venue for a wide range of events such as children's parties, meetings and seminars.
If you would like to donate furniture or other household goods to New 2 You, to become a volunteer at New 2 You or for enquiries about booking the venue, please contact them on 01978 449121
Future project development
Some of the suggestions that Communities First have received from residents for further development of social enterprises have been a community garage, gardening scheme and window cleaning service. If anyone is interested in pusuing one of these projects or have ideas of their own and would like assistance and support from Communities First, please contact Sue Parry or Phil Hughes at the office.
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