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Future Jobs Fund team at Broadwater Farm
Homes for Haringey has taken on 10 previously unemployed Haringey residents, initially for six months, under the Government’s Future Jobs Fund scheme.
A team of eight Estate Service ‘Support Officers’ have obtained paid jobs working on estates in North and South Tottenham, Hornsey and Wood Green, as part of the scheme which supports young people and the unemployed back into work.
The Support Officers - Peter Canham, Abdulkadir Ahmed, Charles Stewart, Ulas Sozer, Chukwuamaka Agu, Ross Jenkins, Nicholas Ray and Adam Butt - range in age from 18 to over 50, and work 25 hours per week.
A typical day includes training on subjects from health and safety, to risk assessments and the correct use of mechanical and gardening equipment. The team also work with the Council’s Park services undertaking garden maintenance in Haringey Parks and helping elderly and vulnerable residents maintain their gardens.
They have all been kitted out with Homes for Haringey branded all-weather macs, boiler suits and regulation footwear. Their work on the estates includes garden maintenance, jet washing and deep cleaning, steam cleaning external walls, polishing floors and painting and decorating to refresh areas and remove graffiti.
Charles Stewart said: “I’m really pleased with the opportunity to work and train on the job. It’s a great team to work with and very satisfying to see estates looking spotless each day and overgrown areas transformed. There has also been a lot of positive feedback from residents. I’m personally looking forward to the many possibilities this position can create in the future.”
Two Repairs and Customers Services Administrators – Sherenia Grant and Beverly Stewart - have also been taken on as trainees at the Ashley Road Control Repairs Centre.
Paul Bridge, Chief Executive, added; “It is a fantastic to see how enthusiastic and dedicated the new support officers are. We are pleased to welcome them and appreciate the extra professional service they are providing for this estate.”
The positions in Homes for Haringey are part of a wider Haringey Council led Future Jobs Fund bid. To date, over 150 people have secured placements under the Council’s bid.
