Pictured above: Rekah Messa (second from right), who secured a new job with support from Aston Pride and Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG), is joined by (from left) James Betjeman, of Aston Pride, Summayyah Hussain, Malcolm Buchanan and Rumana Malik (right), of PPDG, at the company's Newtown centre in Birmingham to promote the Mini Mela free family fun day

A free family fun day in Birmingham is set to mix music and dancing with advice on jobs and training. The Mini Mela, hosted by Faraz Chohan, will take place at the sports' pavilion in Aston Park, Aston, from 11am to 4pm on Thursday, July 15.

Employment experts Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG) will offer advice to jobseekers. Family attractions include live music, dancing, face painting, a bouncy castle, beauty therapies, market stalls and refreshments.

The event has been organised in partnership with Birmingham City Council, Aston Pride New Deal for Communities, PPDG and the Bollywood Academy which was established by Faraz Chohan to encourage involvement in performing arts.

Simon Topman, independent chair, Aston Pride, said: "The Mini Mela will be of particular interest to women and I urge female Aston residents seeking help to enter the job market to attend. Pertemps People Development Group has an excellent track record in assisting people into training and sustainable employment that meets their aspirations."

PPDG's team of employment experts will provide advice on benefits, confidence building, one-to-one support, CV and interview preparation, and finding the right job or training course.

PPDG's Malcolm Edwards said: "While the emphasis of this event is giving local people a fantastic day of family fun, we also believe it is very important for unemployed people to take advantage of the full range of support that is available if they are to get back into work or into self employment.

"We hope that local people will come along to enjoy the festivities, but will also take the time to meet our team and discover more about all our support services, from improving confidence to developing skills, which have already helped more than 1,000 Aston residents find employment through the Aston Pride Employment Connections programme. Our support is free and finding out more won't affect people's benefits."

PPDG works in partnership with Jobcentre Plus and other organisations to deliver employment and training initiatives including Flexible New Deal, the Working Neighbourhoods Fund and Learndirect training programmes.

Aston Pride - a 10-year, £54 million regeneration initiative - aims to transform the economic culture of Aston by reducing unemployment and raising household incomes.  It encourages residents to aspire to achieve their fullest potential and collaborate in acquiring a sense of common purpose and community identity.  It is also providing intelligent support for training, learning, the social economy, and business investment and development.