Centurions gather to help Remploy's Birmingham branch celebrate its first birthday

A trio of ìcenturionsî gathered in Birmingham to help the city centre branch of Remploy celebrate its first birthday ñ and another milestone achievement.

The Birmingham branch of Remploy, the countryís leading provider of employment services for people with disabilities and long term health conditions, was not only a year old this week but the number of candidates it has found mainstream work to date for has just topped the 300 mark.

The 300th successful disabled person was 46-year-old Cindy Lill who was referred to the branch by Jobcentre Plus in Sparkhill.

Cindy, from Acocks Green, was made redundant from her machine operatorís job in Birmingham last January and developed carpel tunnel syndrome, which is similar to repetitive strain injury, which left her unable to go back to factory work.

She undertook a two-week development programme at the Remploy branch on Newhall Street during which she was given advice on how to compile a CV and on interview techniques, as well as being found vacancies to apply for, and she soon landed a job as a customer services assistant on the pharmacy counter at Morrisonís in Shirley, Birmingham.

Cindy was joined at the birthday party this week (July 3) by the 200th successful candidate, former Longbridge worker Andrew Gamble, from Quinton, who has cerebral palsy.

Andrew, aged 24, left work in 2002 to become a full-time carer for his father, his 14-year-old sister Kerry and his six-year-old brother Kirk after his mother died from cancer.

He was in and out of work for the next four years until Kerry Boyd, a disability employment advisor at Jobcentre Plus in Selly Oak, referred him to Remploy last September.

Andrew said: ìPreparation for interviews was one of the sessions I did at Remploy and just two days later I had an interview for a customer services assistantís job at Asda in Perry Barr and I got it.

ìThe job is perfect for me as my father has remarried and because I now I do shifts I can share looking after the family with my step-mother.î

John Bedford, aged 30, from Stechford, was the 100th disabled person to be found a job after he was referred to Remployís Birmingham branch by Derek Rogers, a disability employment advisor at Jobcentre Plus in Yardley.

John, who has a weak right side and learning difficulties, underwent Job Ready sessions and key skills modules and last November he was helped to find a job as a warehouse operative with National Grid at its Erdington base.

ìCenturionsî John, Andrew and Cindy met up with Derek and Kerry from Jobcentre Plus when they all went along to help staff at Remploy in Birmingham celebrate the branchís first birthday.

Branch manager Paul Collum said: ìIt has been a really rewarding year but we are proud to have found work for more than 300 disabled people in that time.

ìWe are going from strength to strength, we have our sights set on breaking the 400 barrier, and everyone in the team here is delighted to see that their hard work is reaping rewards.î