Meath Partnership's Tús scheme delivering for communities

Meath Partnerships Tús scheme is proving to be a great success with 35 participants now placed with community groups throughout the county. Tús is a job activation scheme, funded by the Department of Social Protection, that provides one-year working opportunities for people who are unemployed for more than 12 months in County Meath. Placements are with local community and voluntary sector organisations involved in the delivery of services to local people in the county. The Tús participants have enabled local not-for-profit groups to develop their services and introduce completely new services to the community. Some examples include supporting Flexibus/Meath Volunteer Centre's Volunteer Community Car scheme that helps people without access to transport to attend hospital and GP services; developing new stables and facilities at National Exotic Animal Sanctuary in Ballivor, and tidy town and village Renaissance projects, including upkeep of community gardens and village greens, approach roads and building projects and restoration. It also supports English-speaking tuition and volunteer activities at Mosney accommodation centre; undertaking research and administrative projects at a drug rehabilitation facility; sports coaching and event management; assisting programmes at Kells Musical and Dramatic Society, and supporting the newly established Jigsaw Meath Youth café and services. Supervisors Meath Partnership is now recruiting two further full-time supervisors. The Tús supervisors will work as part of the Tús Development Team with primary responsibility for supporting, supervising and managing up to 20 Tús participants each, in partnership with local community groups. Their responsibility is to promote the scheme and make it as successful as possible for the Tús participant and the community group involved. As Tús is a labour market activation initiative, to be eligible for these supervisor positions, applicants must have been in receipt of full-time Jobseeker's Allowance or Jobseeker's Benefit for at least 12 consecutive months, and be currently in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance. An application form and full job description are available at www.meathpartnership.ie or contact barbara.gaynor@meathpartnership.ie or telephone (046) 928 0790. Community groups If you are an interested community group or organisation seeking to engage Tús participants involved in projects or seeking further information on the Tús initiative, register your interest with Barbara Gaynor at Meath Partnership, Unit 7, Kells Business Park, Cavan Road, Kells.