Lissa Dobson – Coventry
“I have been offered some invaluable support which has
led me to where I am today.”
Lissa Dobson had had a troubled childhood that left her
struggling through early adulthood. She became unemployed and soon
found herself living on the streets in Coventry and seeking solace
in drugs. Lissa’s dependency on drugs led to a change in her
behaviour and multiple court appearances for petty crimes left her
with a Criminally Related Anti Social Behaviour Order (CRASBO).
This was the wakeup call that Lissa needed to bring her life back
on track. After speaking to counsellors to deal with her past,
Lissa went onto college to improve her education which led her to
start her own business, Mugz4U, which offers a personalised
printing service on promotional materials. In 2007 Lissa was
admitted to hospital where she battled an eating disorder and her
business was put on hold whilst she recovered. Lissa then found
herself back on benefits so she visited Jobcentre Plus who put her
in touch with Working Links so Lissa could receive the right help
with employment. Lissa met Working Links consultant Helen Cousins
who advised her that restarting her original business was
worthwhile. Helen accessed funding and referred Lissa to additional
business support services to ensure that she had the expert help
she needed and it worked, as her business was soon successful
again. Feeling inspired, Lissa applied to be the Barclays Business
Entrepreneur of the Year and made it through to the final top
100.
Linzi Mason - Rothwell, Northamptonshire
“Working Links, along with
understanding doctors, have made a significant improvement in my
life.”
Linzi Mason had been running her successful
alpaca yarn spinning business, The Alpaca Spinner, for many years
when her condition took hold and made her work impossible. Linzi
has Fibromyalgia which left her feeling constantly tired and in
pain. Her self-esteem was at zero and the spinning aspect of the
business was virtually at a standstill.
Then six months ago Linzi found out about
Working Links and the Government funded Pathways to Work programme
that supports people on health related benefits into work. At first
Linzi was sceptical as she had a job and didn’t require any
employment training services or further qualifications as it was
her illness which was preventing her from working full time. When
Linzi arrived at our Corby office, her perceptions disappeared
thanks to Working Links consultant Christine Campbell’s mentoring
support.
Linzi said, “Christine left me feeling
motivated and instantly determined to fight another day. I
described my work as a spinner and explained how the rest of the
business operated. I felt compelled to email her immediately on my
return and thank her for understanding and making me feel
worthwhile again.”
Linzi’s condition meant that she had major
problems with her back, hips and legs. Working Links were able to
fund most of the purchase of an electric spinning wheel, enabling
her to spin the yarn without having to use painful leg movements.
We are also funding a carding machine to help prepare fleece for
spinning which will ease the wear and tear on Linzi’s joints. Linzi
concludes, “I am now working 30 hours a week again. My Fibromyalgia
will never go away and I will probably need help at various points
in the future, but I can honestly say that Working Links, along
with understanding doctors, have made a significant improvement in
my life”.
If you are currently looking for a job in the
Midlands or looking to upscale your training in your
current position then please contact us or call us free on 0800 917
9262 to find out how Working Links can help you.