Published at 15:40, Wednesday, 28 July 2010

COMMUNITY company Phoenix Enterprise Centre has been providing services to the West Cumbrian community for 25 years.

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The nature of the project means any its profits or assets can only be used for the benefit of the community.

Its main aim is to address economic deprivation in area by promoting economic regeneration and addressing unemployment.

So how do the Phoenix team do it?

Unbeknown to many people, the firm offers so much more than advice and guidance for employment – it has a portfolio of managed workspace and office accommodation to its name.

It runs a host of regeneration activities and provides small business start-up help all accredited by the Guidance Accreditation Board with the Matrix quality standard.

When it comes to supporting new businesses in the area, the company manages:

Phoenix House - Following a £1.6 million pound refurbishment in 2006, Phoenix House offers office suites over three floors. The building, in the centre of Cleator Moor, offers an IT suite and conference, seminar and training facilities.

Phoenix Court, Phase 1 - consists of 16 basic workshops within a secure courtyard setting in the heart of Cleator Moor.

Phoenix Court, Phase 2 - re-opened in January this year following the completion of major refurbishment works. The building, which offers quality office accommodation, is now fully occupied by training provider Gen II.

Phoenix Court, Phase 3 - consists of more office accommodation in a three story building. It is currently being refurbished by Copeland Borough Council.

Phoenix Community Development Unit - Phoenix CDU is the Whitehaven branch of Phoenix Enterprise Centre. Based in Mirehouse the CDU is predominantly used to provide an advice and guidance service to South Whitehaven residents.

St Kevin’s Hall - In January this year £320,000 was secured by Phoenix Enterprise Centre to buy and refurbish St Kevin’s Hall in Cleator Moor. The building was built in 1883 on the town’s main street.

The beautiful, sandstone building offers meeting and training accommodation.

Although the company has a range of services under its name, the team are famed for their advice and guidance services.

Phoenix Enterprise Centre offer a free and independent service on all aspects of employment at drop in centres in Cleator Moor, Whitehaven, Egremont and Millom.

The team provides help and support with everything from practical job searching, overcoming employment barriers and developing skills, to help with CVs and covering letters, interview techniques and even redundancy counselling.

Some of the centre’s more popular services include its skills courses:

Training Intervention 1, is a project aimed at helping lone parents and incapacity benefit claimants return to work. It includes group session support, one day a week over 13 weeks, covering all aspects of returning to employment, including job search, confidence and motivation building.

Training Intervention 2, is aimed at anyone who is unemployed. Its group sessions run over two days a week for 13 weeks covering the likes of job search activities and two-week work trial placement.

The Incapacity Benefit Engagement Project aims to help those claiming the benefit for six months or longer to return to work.

Grassroots Coalfields Project helps those who are living in the Copeland area who are unemployed, lone parents, disabled, ex-offenders, drug or alcohol misusers, long term unemployed and those with no formal qualifications.

So who are the people that have benefited from Phoenix?

In February 2010, Sarah Allison was a volunteer at the Whitehaven Community Trust Café when she was offered the opportunity to take on a paid role as café assistant through the Future Jobs Fund.

Sarah was a shy person but through support from Diane Pickering, advice and guidance worker at Phoenix Enterprise Centre, she was able to grow in confidence and progress through the selection process.

At interview it went really well and Sarah was delighted when she was later offered the 12 month position.

She said she enjoys her role and feels a real sense of achievement from being proud at progressing through the selection process to completing an NVQ Level 2 multi-skilled hospitality service qualification through the fund.

Dean Maudling got help and support from the team at Phoenix this year. He was unemployed and claiming Job Seekers Allowance.

At this time his local Job Centre Plus referred him to the Future Jobs Fund through which Dean was successful in securing an interview at Copeland Borough for a waste operations support worker position.

At interview Dean’s enthusiasm and positive attitude came through and he was offered the 12 month role. He showed commitment to the job and proved himself to be a valuable member of the team and soon after when a permanent role as a waste operations worker became available Dean was encouraged to apply.

He was successful, signing off the Future Jobs Fund project and beginning his new permanent role.

Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk