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Reigniting the fire with Be Well

Through the support and guidance given it has allowed me to reignite the fire and desire that was always burning inside me, but over recent years had burned less bright.

When B first came to see Richard Phillips at Be Well he’d been out of work for 5 months. B had enrolled on a Time is Now course with Southway Housing and was looking to take the next steps with Richard, an employment coach based at Southway, to reboot his career ambitions.

But all that had to be put on hold when Richard found B had no food in the house and was racking up rent arrears.

As B put it, “I was I was struggling too much with benefits and living conditions to focus on personal development and upskilling.”

“B had been waiting months for a claim for benefits to come through. He’d tried the DWP mandatory claims process to get things moving but it had been painfully slow. To get some food Southway did a referral to a local food bank and their advice team got local MP Jeff Smith involved to speed up the benefits payments. With a bit of food on the table and the rent being paid, B was able to get back to working on a new career,” explained Richard.

Having worked in football in the past, B dreamed of becoming a professional football scout.

“We looked at roles Manchester City FC. They needed additional coaching qualifications, so he set about enrolling on Professional Football Scouts Association courses.”

Until he was qualified and could apply for scouting jobs, B still had a living to make.

“We worked on a series of options for alternative incomes from offering his translation skills to football clubs to brokering fruit and veg imports,” said Richard.

“To get fruit and veg brokering idea off the ground B needed training, contacts and financial support. A People Plus Adviser, with experience of importing from the US, was able to line him up for the business start-up New Enterprise Allowance and Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce were great for helping find brokering training.”

Now B has completed almost all of his Professional Football Scouts Association courses he feels he’s had one of his best year’s progress.

“I look forward to working with Richard over the next few months. The insight and personal approach delivered is what I value most, as it is important to know you have people on your side wanting you to do well and supporting you along during the process. Speaking with Richard regularly helps keep me on track, as he often reminds me of what we have spoken about and gives me valuable ideas.”

And away from work B has also been getting fit again by running twice a day. “My physical fitness is better than it has been for over 14 years!”

Here’s more details about Be Well and Southway Housing’s Time is Now course

Our client asked us not to use their name.