A VITAL frontline service in Okehampton helping the unemployed get back into work has been safeguarded for the next year.

The Friday work club at the Ockment Centre has been preserved for the next 12 months thanks to a donation of £8,866 from the Okehampton United Charity.

The club provides a vital service for between 20 and 30 people each week who are seeking much needed support to help them get back to work.

The Learndirect Training services offered at the Ockment Centre by Westward Pathfinder were withdrawn last year following government spending cuts. The charity rented the computer suite in the Ockment Centre to deliver a range of courses designed to help people with their employment prospects.

Among the services lost were open access IT training and Skills for Life, teaching people workplace skills and English and maths to GCSE level 2. The work club is all that remains of those services.

The club was originally set up to help people find work after the closures of Polestar and Robert Wiseman Dairies as many people came to the Ockment Centre looking for support. With demand still strong, the club's work is still important to many residents of the town.

Geoff Mills, manager of the club, goes the extra mile to provide the services necessary for each user. As well as helping people write CVs, the club also helps them search and apply for jobs online, rebuild their confidence through improving interview and telephone techniques, socialising and moral support.

Geoff gives up hours of his own free time to ensure the club functions to meet the needs of everyone who attends, carrying out paperwork and writing CVs in his spare time.

He said: 'We are very grateful to the Okehampton United Charity for their support. Without them, we could no longer run the club. The work we do here is absolutely vital to help lots of people try and find employment.

'Some of the people who use our services are computer literate, and can come in and sort themselves out. But there are lots who need more help, learning how to use the computers, how to write a CV, and need more of my direct time.

'The people of Okehampton need this facility. I don't want the town to become a centre of unemployment, if you like. A facility like this also has a knock-on effect for the wider community. If people have work and are earning, they are more likely to spend money at local businesses and put money back into the community.'

Karen Percival, clerk of Okehampton United Charity and OUC trustee Ross Campbell visited the work club last Friday to hand over the cheque.

Karen said the charity recognised the work club was of great importance to many people in Okehampton.

She said: 'Okehampton United Charity recognises there is a significant gap between the services that Job Centre Plus provides, and the real needs of many residents to ensure that they meet the requirements to get their benefits.

'The work club here is vital in breaching that gap, and helping people who may otherwise struggle to get work find employment.

'Many people do not have access to computers or the internet at home, or struggle with travel. This club really helps those who need it most, and Geoff goes the extra mile, giving his own time to fill out forms, write CVs and ensure that when he is here, he can help people in the way they need it, one on one.'

The Friday work club is open every week, and is always happy to welcome new users. To find out more, call the Ockment Centre on 01837 53276.