An initiative which has helped around 200 people gain employment has been celebrated in Bishop Auckland.
The Learning, Working, Earning initiative was set up by County Durham Community Foundation in March last year following a donation by Jonathan and Jane Ruffer. It has since helped people gain work with over 150 employers.
“The flexibility that came with the donation enabled us to develop our own programme, and to help address the needs affecting our county. Of course employment was one of those needs,” explained County Durham Community Foundation trustee Michele Armstrong.
The scheme opened for applications in March 2013 with the £420,000 of funding exhausted by July. It was relaunched in September with a further £500,000.
An event was held on Thursday, 20th March to celebrate the initiative with participants of the programme, employers and mentors. A film produced at Teesside University was also shown with three participants of the initiative.