Job seekers to lose out after funding dries up

Employment and training charity Steps to Work was set up almost 16 years ago and has helped around 35,000 people into work, with branches in Bloxwich, Darlaston and Walsall town centre.

But bosses have revealed that the Darlaston branch in King Street will shut its doors at the end of March after funding bids were unsuccessful to run the facility, which costs up to £150,000 a year.

Chief operating officer James Walsh said although the shop will be closed to the public, the charity is continuing to bid for funds and will still pay for heating, power and security, amounting to around £12,500 a year, so that it can reopen immediately if funding is secured.

Hundreds of jobseekers have sought advice at the branch every year since it opened in 2009.

Mr Walsh said it was 'frustrating' and 'gutting' that the charity had been forced to reach this decision.

He said Big Lottery funding ran out last November but the charity managed to keep the shop open through using its own reserves and small pots of funding from other community groups.

Mr Walsh said: "We aimed to secure additional funding through several bids which were unsuccessful.

"There is another funding application in the pipeline which we are waiting to hear about but as it stands at this moment the shop will close on March 31 if other funding isn't secured.

"By closure we are mothballing the shop so we can mobilise and open the shop immediately to deliver services in the community subject to funding being secured with through our own bid or partner bids we are named in."

Four staff at the shop have been warned that they could be made redundant, but Mr Walsh said the charity would try to redeploy staff where possible.

Mr Walsh said the shop had been hugely valuable to Darlaston, offering debt advice, helping with CVs and skill building and running job advice and search clubs, but funding had become harder to secure.

He said: "We are still fighting to find funding.

"It really is frustrating and gutting to be in this position."

The charity has around 83 staff and bosses have said its other branches will not be affected.

Darlaston South councillor Doug James said he would be convening meetings with interested parties to develop support for Darlaston and Moxley jobseekers.

He said: "Darlaston South has one of the largest long-term youth employment rates in Walsall. It is the fifth most disadvantaged ward in Walsall."

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