A COMMITTED group of volunteers have come together to form employment hubs in Watchet, Minehead and Williton which help unemployed people gain skills to help them back into work.

This week Gazette reporter Steven Salter visited the employment hub held at The Sanctuary in Watchet to find out more about what goes on at the weekly sessions.

"We already had a community meal running from here and were in touch with the West Somerset Food Cupboard, but while these are very good projects to help those in need and provide a sense of community, they only tell part of the story," Rev Carl Smethurst, minister of Watchet Baptist Church said.

"We wanted something that could help provide longer term solutions and decided we needed to look for ways we could help people provide for themselves."

The employment hubs are run by volunteers and look at ways they can help local people get into work, particularly those who may not have a computer or transport.

"People come in, we offer them a cup of tea and a slice of cake, and the first thing we do is just have a chat about their situation," Rev Smethurst said.

"We try and find out what sort of area of work they might be suitable for and what kind of work they would like to do, and help them make their CVs more attractive to employers. We help people gain work experience, this can help people get vital references."

"Due to time constraints the job centre often do not have the time to do this sort of thing," he added.

The employment hubs run for three hours, once a week, and Rev Smethurst hopes it can be rolled out in other villages in the area like Stogursey and Dulverton.

"We may get around 8-10 people in on any given week, which may not sound like a lot but with a small team of volunteers taking their time to help people it is enough to keep us occupied."

Cllr Karen Mills, lead member for regeneration and economic growth, said: "The hubs that are up and running are proving to be very successful, really changing people's lives. As always my grateful thanks go to all those volunteers who really make this happen.”

The employment hub runs in Watchet every Thursday from 9.30am-12.30pm, at The River children's centre in Williton every Tuesday 9.30am-12.30pm and in Minehead at The Bridge, Alcombe on Fridays between 9am and 12pm.