Working Denbighshire sees success in paw-some partnership
A Denbighshire business has received a helping hand from Working Denbighshire’s work start programme, with several participants of the scheme now having worked at the Doggy Daycare business.
Four Paws Inn is a family run doggy daycare businesses located in Ruthin and has been running since 2019.
Working Denbighshire’s Work Start scheme brings together eligible Denbighshire based businesses and residents, to provide employment opportunities to maximise their potential.
The scheme offers high quality paid and unpaid placements to give eligible residents an opportunity to upskill through sector specific training and experience. Eligible businesses who sign up to the Work Start Scheme are supported to provide tailored opportunities to individuals through fully funded work placements.
As part of the placement the individual will receive support from the Working Denbighshire team to overcome barriers to work, such as wellbeing, low experience, childcare, and transport issues. The team will also help individuals to find employment at the end of the placement.
Huw & Kim Edwards, Owners of Four Paws Inn said:
“Since signing up to the Work Start scheme, we have received many great members of staff from all walks of life. It’s been incredibly rewarding for us all to witness individuals gain confidence and skills in our unique working environment.
The current participants we have with us are doing well and seem to be relishing their role, which we are very happy about. We have helped another participant of the work start scheme to set up their own dog walking service. It is great to see them develop, and we are still keeping an eye and trying to support them where we can”.
A former participant, Shan, who has now gone on to full time employment with the dog caring business said:
“I found out about Working Denbighshire at an event in my local Job Centre, where I was able to easily discuss my situation and needs with a Working Denbighshire mentor who made me feel confident that I was going to get the right support, which I did very quickly!
I went through a long period on unemployment due to my health and was looking to work in a new sector, so I was confident that the Work Start scheme was the perfect opportunity for me to gain valuable experience within a sector I really wanted to work in!
The Working Denbighshire mentors and staff at Four Paws Inn were immensely helpful and helped me grow in confidence and skills.
I would wholeheartedly recommend the Work Start Scheme to anyone in the same or similar situation that I was in.”
Councillor Jason McLellan, Leader of the Council and Lead Member for Economic Growth & Tackling Deprivation, said:
“This partnership between a local business and Working Denbighshire shows the important value of the work start scheme.
Both the business and the participant get to benefit not only from the work experience, but from the expert help and advice provided by Working Denbighshire.”
The Work Start scheme has been created to give Denbighshire residents opportunities to work with local businesses to upskill and gain invaluable experience with the goal of finding sustainable employment.
Working Denbighshire is part funded through the Welsh Government Communities for Work Plus Programme which supports those most disadvantaged in the labour market to overcome the barriers preventing them from gaining employment.
Working Denbighshire has also received £3,529,632 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Editors notes –
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.
For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus