Weymouth residents with learning disabilities are soon to be given the opportunity to get extra help finding paid work, thanks to lottery funding.

A charity - East Boro Housing Trust - says it is celebrating after being granted £9,720, which will be spent on its 'Let's Work' project, being run at the Waverley Community Hub on Abbotsbury Road, Weymouth.

Research shows that 65 per cent of people with learning disabilities want paid work, but have been unable to get a job. The Let's Work project will offer employment support and training to help recruits fulfil their potential

Following the closure of the former pub in 2017, East Boro took over the running of the Waverley and has turned it into a community facility, offering a variety of training groups, art classes and social events tailored towards people with learning disabilities, as well as those facing mental health problems.

As well as continuing this work, the charity says its new 'Let's Work' project will help bring people together and build strong relationships across communities by working with learners, their circles of support and local employers.

Representatives of East Boro say they aim to help more people reach their full potential by enabling them to get out into the wider community through sustainable employment or volunteering.

Participants are being recruited onto a 26 week programme, which includes initial assessment and a tailored intervention on a one-to-one or group basis, which will aim to have people job-ready within three months.

Robbie Cormack, project manager of Let's Work, said: “This is a great opportunity for local people with learning disabilities to get involved in paid work. Anyone interested can contact me for an informal chat on 07881 343148”.

Eileen Hayward, chair of East Boro, thanked National Lottery players for their role in helping fund the scheme.

“Without your support this much needed project - which has the potential to change local people’s lives for the better - simply would not be possible”, she said.

East Boro Housing Trust manages over 400 units of social housing and provides care and support services to over 2600 people living in Dorset.

To find out more visit www.ebht.org.uk/pages/TheWaverley