Leamington Spa youngster Jack Linstead is on the brink of getting the electric wheelchair that will transform his life after a group of unemployed people staged an event to raise much-needed funds.

The 22 jobseekers, who have been taking part in employability skills sessions run by employment experts Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG) under the Flexible New Deal (FND) initiative, collected £850 for the youngster.

They decided to help Jack's parents raise £3,000 for the wheelchair after being told of his plight by Hannah Palmer, a member of the group who is also the two-year-old's auntie.

Their 'Games Evening' at Murphy's Bar, in Regent Street, was a huge success and the funds raised exceeded all expectations. It included darts, pool and poker tournaments, and a sports quiz. There was also an auction and a raffle with prizes including car valets, a deluxe car valeting kit, photographic portrait sittings, bicycle equipment, tickets to Warwick Castle, Stratford Butterfly Farm, Hatton Country World, swimming tickets and bus tickets, key cutting, manicures, kitchen accessories and cuddly toys. Landlord Kev Murphy donated the venue free of charge and also provided some welcome refreshments.

Karen Baldyga, multi-functional and skills for life trainer at PPDG's Leamington Spa offices, said the fundraising target had inspired the group and helped them to learn skills that will be vital in their search for work.

She said: "I am really proud of the group and what they have achieved. Their own sense of achievement from participating in the fundraising is enormous and you can sense that it has boosted their confidence and self esteem.  They chose to plan, organise and run a fundraising event to raise money for little Jack. The whole group were unanimous in pledging their support for the little boy. It's fantastic that they were able to generate so much support from local people and businesses. We even had a donation of £100 from the Johnny's Plaice chip shop."

The event was staged as part of the employability skills sessions in which Karen asked the group to organise and run an activity or event that would benefit the community. The intention was to help members of the group to develop some of the skills that employers are looking for, such as good communication, working as part of a team and problem solving.

Jack was born with a condition called Arthrogryposis which means that his arms and legs are permanently bent. Although surgeons can operate on his tendons and ligaments, it is unlikely that he will ever be able to walk. To make his life easier and encourage his independence, his parents and family members have been fund raising to buy Jack a new £3,000 electric wheelchair.

PPDG delivers the Government's Welfare to Work strategy across the Midlands through Flexible New Deal, Work Focused Training and other employment initiatives. PPDG is using its vast experience of helping long-term unemployed people get back into work to help local jobseekers secure employment opportunities.

PPDG's team of employment experts provide advice on benefits, confidence building, one-to-one support, CV and interview preparation as well as finding the right job or training course. In partnership with DWP, the Ministry of Justice and Jobcentre Plus, PPDG delivers a diverse range of employment and training initiatives including Flexible New Deal, Working Neighbourhoods Fund, Learndirect and many ESF funded programmes.

More than 100,000 job seekers have been helped into sustained employment by the company since the projects began. It has trained 130,000 people in vocational skills, and over 175,000 people have benefitted from professional information, advice and guidance services.