Finding a job will be the icing on the cake when unemployed people from Warwickshire attempt to raise funds for a national cancer charity.

Jobseekers in Leamington Spa are rising to the challenge after cooking up a great idea that combines a mixture of charity fundraising and searching for work.

Clients of employment experts Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG) are busy baking cakes for Macmillan Cancer Support's World's Biggest Coffee Morning on Friday, September 24.

They will sell the cakes to visitors and employers from across the town attending a jobs fair at the Bath Place Community Centre, the Old Library, York Road. They will also hand over their CVs so that they can be considered for any vacancies companies may have.

The group are determined to join the thousands of people in Warwickshire and across the Midlands who have celebrated ending their unemployment ordeals by clinching new jobs with local companies thanks to vital support from important new initiatives such Flexible New Deal (FND) and Work Focused Training.

Among those attending the jobs fair, from 10am to 3pm, will be employers and organisations including Sainsburys, Q Hotels, care provider People in Action, Pertemps Coachright, Connexions, the Apprenticeship Service, the British Army, Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Partnership Trust, the Prince's Trust and Jobcentre Plus. 

PPDG site manager Glenys Crombie said: "This is a fantastic way for our jobseekers to put something back into the community while seeking employment. They are going to bake the cakes and sell them at the jobs fair. They will also take the opportunity to meet potential employers, demonstrate their enthusiasm and determination to find work, and raise funds for a very good cause.

"We hope that they will get a great deal of satisfaction from supporting the charity and that they will be welcomed by employers who will consider them for any vacancies that may arise. We hope local people will come along to the event, support the cause and learn a little about the employment opportunities that are available. "

The World's Biggest Coffee Morning is Macmillan Cancer Support's biggest fundraising event. People across the UK - and sometimes further afield - hold a coffee morning, where donations on the day are made to Macmillan. Last year 43,000 people registered to hold a coffee morning, raising £7.9 million. This year the charity aims to raise over £8 million to help change the lives of people affected by cancer. |

FND, delivered by PPDG, smashed through the regional milestone of 2,000 jobs inside eight months despite the tough economic climate causing redundancies across the UK.

PPDG delivers Flexible New Deal in Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire. The Government-funded initiative was launched in October last year and aims to provide long-term unemployed people with tailored support and access to local job opportunities.

PPDG's team of experienced employment experts works alongside jobseekers and local employers to match the most suitable applicants to the jobs that are available. Support for customers includes advice on CVs, improving interview techniques, increasing confidence, providing access to training and much more.

PPDG works in partnership with Jobcentre Plus and other organisations, to deliver employment and training initiatives including Flexible New Deal, Work Focused Training, Employment Zone, Lone Parent mentoring, and Learndirect training 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.