What do new interview clothes, a welding course and a travel card have in common?
They are all things that West End residents have received through the Workfinder Flexible Fund. This provides small grants to help people make that final leap into work. Maxwell Mpofu knows just how useful this fund can be. “I was living on income support with little spare to buy things like clothes, but with an interview lined up for a job as a support worker, I needed to make a good impression,” he says. The Workfinder project helped Maxwell apply for the fund and in just a few days he was kitted out with a smart interview suit. “First impressions count,” adds Maxwell. “Being smartly dressed gave me confidence at the interview.” “Helping people like Maxwell is what the Flexible Fund is all about,” said Workfinder’s Neale Brown. “Not having enough money to get to your job interview, or not having suitable clothes to make the right impression can be a real barrier to getting a job – even if you’ve plenty of qualifications and experience.” Oleg lands a job while out shopping Cruddas Par
