A NEW service aims to improve the life chances of people who live in Govanhill.

The scheme has been launched in the Southside area to support local people into work and training and to meet the needs of local businesses.

Govanhill Opportunities is a free service for individuals and employers in the community.

This includes a one-to-one service supporting people to access employment and volunteering opportunities.

In parallel, the service also runs regular employment and volunteering workshops on topics such as how to find a job, CV and cover letter writing.

Annie Macfarlane, who is a local resident and a director of Govanhill Community Development Trust, said: "Govanhill Opportunities is an important initiative to support local people to find work, improve their skills and access funding.

"This project is very timely, as many people in Govanhill seek to improve their life chances now that pandemic restrictions have subsided.

"We hope that the Govanhill Opportunities project will go some way to supporting members of the community to improve their life situation.

"We are also working with local employers to support and grow their businesses by matching the best local talent for their vacancies, providing information on Scottish Government funding and other support initiatives to make Govanhill an even better place to live and work."

Govanhill Opportunities’ aim is to ensure that having a better life is about more than just finding a job, which is why the service also offers access to volunteering, education and in-work support.

Supporting local businesses, by providing access to local jobseekers and employment funding, is also a key part of the work of Govanhill Opportunities.

This also includes building partnerships with Job Centre plus and other agencies.

Anyone living in Govanhill and looking for support with finding work or training opportunities can contact gscott@govanhillha.org or call 07919 372 488.

For volunteering opportunities contact rplummer@govanhillha.org or call 07393 233 463 .

Employers looking for assistance with job vacancies or employment funding can contact gscott@govanhillha.org or call 07919 372 488.

The first Employability and Volunteering workshops will start on the September 1.

For more information see facebook.com/GovanhillCDT