Help to move on

AN INNOVATIVE employment initiative has reported “another very positive year” with a total 155 people supported across the isles.

The Moving On employment project said that due to the recent welfare reform the number of people requiring support to enter employment in Shetland “has grown considerably”.

The charity, based in Lerwick’s Market House, further said they had been helping 100 new clients in the year up to 31 March 2014.

Eighty per cent of new clients were in receipt of benefits such as Job Seekers Allowance, Employment Support Allowance or Income Support.

Project co-ordinator Kellie Naulls added that on evaluation 76 per cent of services users were still in work following discharge from services.

Moving On also set up and oversaw 70 paid and unpaid work placements throughout Shetland.

She added that “99p of every pound spent last year” went directly to support service users while 44 per cent of funding received was from funders outwith Shetland such as the Big Lottery.