Camberley and District Job Club
By Murray Rowlands
LOCAL SUPPORT FOR THE JOBLESS
On the Beginning: It all started with Alan Barnard, Rodney Bates and the author discussing the high rate of unemployment in the area over as few beers in Camberley Workingmen’s Club. Mention was made of the setting up of Job Clubs to offer help to the unemployed. The decision was made to set one up at The Workingmen’s Club in Camberley opening its doors at the beginning of 2012.
A rocky start: Little known to ourselves The Workingmen’s, Club once an important venue had fallen on hard times, to such an extent entering the building you were likely to run shoulders with debt collectors from one of the breweries. Perhaps the Club’s Managers thought we possessed a magic wand capable of overcoming its financial difficulties. In fact we had to rattle the begging bowl to obtain start- up money.
Help: Our first port of call was to Denis Fuller the Surrey County Councillor for the area who came up with sufficient funds to get the Club underway with the few volunteers we had recruited. There was also support from Colin Dougan the Borough Councillor for the area. An application was placed with The Surrey Community Fund. This reflected the constant activity of seeking financial support to keep The Club afloat.
What we would be doing: Our agenda for our first three week’s meetings were CVs, job search and job applications. In the meantime we had printed a leaflet announcing our arrival and distributing it to companies on the Yorktown Estate. Sad to report there was no response. A further activity was making Camberley Department of Work and Pensions aware of our existence which involved waiting for long periods for their staff to become available.
Paperwork to be in Business: By the 27th June we were seeking to agree a constitution and a financial policy.
The walls collapse around The Club: Although the Club tried it could not avoid the Workingmen’s Club bankruptcy. On some occasions its doors were closed not only to its creditors but to ourselves and our clients waiting outside. Clearly The Club would have to relocate but unfortunately Camberley was not blessed with alternative venues. In the end we were carrying the boxed of our small bureaucracy to High Cross Church in Knoll Road. There the Club has remained. In addition responding to demand an annexe was opened at St Marys Church, holding the first of our successful mini conferences in 2014.
Sensitive to a Changing Environment: Although it appears most of the Job Clubs established in Surrey appeared to have disappeared, because the Club responded perceived need it was able to survive major fluctuations in the employment levels. It was also assisted by the late Kevin Cantlon in 2015 who introduced the Club’s representatives involved in employment training systems. This enabled a response to clients seeking assistance through the use of IT. The very real basis of client assistance was available in this way for the last ten years through these systems.
We find a Godfather: This came in the form of the late Bill Andrews the secretary of Frimley Poors Allotment a major Surrey Heath Charity. The three tranches of financial support have provided an opportunity to pioneer areas of support for the Borough’s unemployed. However the uncertainty of locating supporting funding remained a major preoccupation of the Club’s executive
Outreach: Its 2015 and Janet Ward begins who excellent work with Carwarden School and Sally Tyler provides an excellent careers dimension to the Club’s work. Janet and the author speak to the Chamber of Commerce at Camberley Cricket Club. Important links were established with Surrey Adult Learning and important discussions with the Surrey Adult Learning Director about gaps in continuing education in Surrey Heath.
Important Year2016: Club Treasurer Peter Nyman effectively reorganises the Club’s finances and the decision is made to close its St Mary’s outreach on a Friday. A strong link with both the DWP in Rushmoor and its employment support is established. Janet Ward and the author begin the Club’s participation in Employment Fairs in Farnborough. A link was established with Frimley Health through Tom White leading to several employment sessions at High Cross for people interested in caring work. The author joins the Regional Board of Inspire Enterprise a group seeking to encourage the jobless opening their own firms. The Club sponsors a meeting for the local unemployed on practical aspects of putting a company together. A number of the Club’s member successfully open their own companies. The announcement of closure of House of Fraser and British Home Stores resulted in contact with the stores by Janet Ward and the author and some weeks of positive assistance to staff made redundant.
2017- Paul Amphlett the Club’s Administrator reports his frustration with the bureaucratic difficulties the Club was experiencing. Roland Tay works hard to streamline new volunteers induction and the training side of the club. The Club plans and successfully mounts a Carers Fair at Camberley Theatre, managed by Julia Curnock . It attracts 22 companies, county and state organisations with 120 visitors interested in caring work attending. Roy Lilley, a leading commentator on health affairs and the Director of Frimley Health Andrew Morris opened this important event on the 18th October. The author produced an Employment Paper highlighting the deteriorating economic position in relation to employment of the Borough. Major companies here such as Esams, Jonsons Wax, Toshiba among others had departed. One of the features of this was poor communication links and an awful rail link. There was a lack of vocational training for a population now over 70,000.
2018/19: Gill Riding was appointed as Administrative Assistant and Rodney Bates agrees to conduct an assessment of the Club making a number of crucial suggestions for the way forward. This was to overtaken by the covid emergency. However a new chair Pete Nyman succeeds in broadening financial support so that initiatives such as work in schools can be broadened
2019/20 – The Club creates new marketing material and launches a new website, plus Facebook page. There is an increase in weekly attendance at the Monday sessions and good relationships develop between Camberley JCP and the newly formed Hope Hub. Surrey Adult Learning remain closely involved with the club and relationships are strengthened with Richmond Fellowship and Maximus.
2020/21 – All activities are curtailed as the Covid Pandemic takes over the world. The Monday sessions are cancelled and lockdown forces the Club to review how they operate. They begin to take on clients over the telephone, via Zoom or email and look to improve CV and training material on the website. The Club secures funding from Frimley Fuel Allotments to prepare them for reopening in Autumn 2020 and The Community Foundation for Surrey for new initiatives. Those initiatives include taking on a temporary Careers Advisor, Kathy Joice, to work with local schools. The work was based on Post 16 Vocational Report researched by Janet Ward and Sally Tyler.
2021/22 – The Job Club reopens tentatively offering booked appointments.