Councillor calls for support for Work Link Hinckley

Hinckley Liberal Democrat Councillor Michael Mullaney is urging the Conservative leadership of Leicestershire County Council to continue to support a longstanding Hinckley organisation that gives people work experience to help get them back into work.

Michael Mullaney said "I recently visited Work-Link Hinckley. They do excellent work helping unemployed people, including people with learning difficulties and mental health problems, get confidence working in a work based environment and to get training and experience to help them back into work.

"Workers at Work-Link take furniture and white goods that have been donated by residents, renovate them and then sell them on through a shop on Regent Street, Hinckley and through Ebay.

"Not only is this giving people work skills, but it is also helping the environment as furniture destined for landfill is being repaired and reused.

"They have been based in Hinckley for 28 years and are finding new means of raising funds for the group through Ebay and the shop.

"However the County Council is considering removing the grant it gives to the group next March. Although Work-Link are innovating with new ways to find funds and becoming more self sufficient a total removal of its grant will have a huge negative effect on an organisation that is doing a lot of good work in the community, including helping 10 service users find jobs over the last year.

"At the most recent meeting of Leicesterhsire County I asked that this withdrawal of funding please be looked at again, as this service is too important to be put at risk.

"The reply I got was that this would be looked at in the Autumn I do sincerely hope that, until Work Link can become totally self funding, the County Council continues to give it support."