A TYNESIDE parish has helped to create jobs for 14 unemployed men, giving them work which will last for a minimum of six months.
The men are involved in building work at the church of St Anthony of Padua in Walker, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The parish decided last year that the only just solution in the current unemployment crisis would be to find unemployed people to do the necessary work.
The discussions led to the formation of the St Anthony of Padua Community Association which then submitted detailed proposals to the Manpower Services Commission. The offer of sponsorsh,p was formally accepted at the end of last year and the work has now started.
Mr James Sikorski, a member of the St Padua Community Association, said this week: "This is obvioiusly a very small in-road into the massive unemployment figures but ' it is perhaps an example of local initiative which will provide hope and encouragement to others."
• Sponsorship by churches of new work projects was one of the concrete proposalsmade in a Church of England report called "Unemployment — what can be done?" published last week by the Board for Social Responsibility.