A NEW service providing employment advice to people in Wiltshire with mental health problems has been launched.

The county-wide initiative offering training, voluntary work and employment advice to people recovering from mental ill health is being managed by Richmond Fellowship Wiltshire and funded by Wiltshire Council and NHS Wiltshire.

The Richmond Fellowship Wiltshire Employment Services team were in The Maltings in Salisbury earlier this month to launch the service in the south of the county.

The team consists of five employment advisers who offer one-to-one support by appointment only and provide a range of services from job searching, CV writing, interview preparation and labour market information to skills coaching.

Allie Burkmar, area manager at Richmond Fellowship, said: “We are pleased to offer this important service to local people and are grateful to commissioners for their support. We hope to help over 400 individuals per year to rebuild their lives and find employment and training. The response from the community during the launch period has been very positive indeed and we are in contact with employers throughout the county.”

Alison Middleton, of NHS Wiltshire, said: “From our research we know that hundreds of Wiltshire residents need support of this kind. Work is therapeutic and can help people in the recovery process. There is no doubt, Richmond Fellowship will be providing a valuable resource to local people, businesses and communities.”

For more information visit www.richmondfellowship.org.uk.