Pictured above: (l-r) Pertemps People Development Group's
Elaine Brady and Nikara Lucas with Jerome Bucknor, youth director
of the New Testament Church of God in Erdington,
Birmingham
A church group which has launched a drive to help and inspire
young people is celebrating after getting a donation of hundreds of
pounds from generous workers at a Birmingham firm.
The New Testament Church of God, in Goosemoor Lane, Erdington,
engages with young people to provide support, advocacy and build up
their confidence. It also has plans to develop a youth centre.
The NTCG received a donation of £400 from employees of
employment experts Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG). The
company operates a Give As You Earn (GAYE) scheme which each year
donates thousands of pounds to charities and other good causes.
Employees make a donation to the scheme each month.
NTCG was nominated for a donation by its assistant local youth
director Nikara Lucas who is also an employment coach at PPDG in
Redditch.
She said: "There is hope within the community of Erdington even
with the downturn of the economy and the negative affect it is
having on our young people. I believe we should help provide as
much support as possible. We have been looking into services such
as homework clubs and establishing a youth centre where young
people are able to drop in and relax or even seek advice."
Jerome Bucknor, local youth director for NTCG, said: "We are
working in an area of Erdington which lacks the resources to cater
for young people within the community and we try to provide any
support, advocacy which will build up confidence and give a sense
of self worth and want.
"We engage with a small group of young people on a Sunday
morning and some Friday afternoons where we talk about current
issues in society which affect them or those around them and try to
draw experiences which have helped one another resolve such
issues.
"We also take the young people to a youth forum on some Friday
afternoons where they meet with others from different areas and
backgrounds and engage with each other. There are also
inspirational speakers taking sessions on entrepreneurship and
other subjects."
Jerome added: "It is a privilege being able to work in this
position and serve the needs of the community. Having to start this
work from scratch, some would find daunting, but we have embraced
this starting point as it enables us to craft something that will
be unique for the surrounding areas".
The donation made by PPDG will help kick-start turning the
group's ideas into plans so that the local youth leaders can have a
greater impact. The NTCG has been established in the UK for over 50
years. Since its inception it has grown to be one of the largest
churches of its kind, with over 200 church branches in England and
Wales.
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 provides 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. PPDG came fourth
in The Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For 2011.
For more information about Pertemps People Development Group,
please visit their website here: www.ppdg.co.uk