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Law clean up

A MAJOR clean-up of one of Dundee's best-loved green spaces is underway thanks to Dundee City Council and the Future Jobs Fund.

A group of eight employees taken on by the council as part of the environmental improvement Future Jobs Fund programme has begun work tidying up Dundee Law.

The programme, which offers six months on the job training to people who have been unemployed for a minimum of 39 weeks and meet other Department for Work and Pensions criteria, is already cleaning up.

Work reinstating and tidying up shabby parts of the city was in full-swing before the recent cold snap diverted resources to gritting and snow clearing, but since the milder weather set in the Law facelift is back on target.

Convener of Dundee City Council's environment services committee, Jimmy Black said: "It would be difficult to underestimate the impact that this programme has had not just on the people who have got employment through it but also on the people of Dundee.

"The jobs they are tackling vary from cleaning up small areas of graffiti and other minor vandalism to repairing and reinstating fencing and paths in communities across the city and that is being noticed by everyone who lives and works nearby.

"Small gap sites or former industrial areas that may have been neglected in the past have been targeted for clean ups and we hope this will encourage those responsible to keep them tidy after they have been brought back to life by our team."

Phil Welsh, secretary of the Coldside Community Forum said: "We would like to wish the planned Law tidy up project the very best success.

"Dundee Law is an important green space, not just for Coldside but for the entire city, and we believe worthwhile projects such as this should be supported and endorsed."

The Future Jobs Fund was launched by the Government in 2009 to create employment opportunities for unemployed young people and other disadvantaged groups.

All employment opportunities created through the Future Jobs Fund will be additional to what is already being delivered, have a community benefit, include a training element and consider how to increase participants' likelihood of gaining employment.

The salary, pension and training costs for every person taken on as part of the Future Jobs Fund programme are being met by the Government.

At the end of the six month contract a new group of eight people will be brought on, with a guaranteed interview for suitable vacant council posts or training place for members of the team coming to the end of their tenure.

Colin McNaughton, 49 had worked in various semi-skilled jobs before deciding to give the environmental improvement Future Jobs Fund a go,

He said: "I'm not the best at the best at the paperwork and have tried applications for jobs off my own back but this gives me help with the form-filling and stuff like that.

"I'm hoping something comes out of it and have grabbed this opportunity with both hands.

"It is absolutely brilliant and I have recommended it to a few of my mates that don't work to get involved with it."

Clean up work has already been completed at a number of sites around the city including the former Dens Metal site, The Howff, Riverside roundabout, Raglan Street and Nethergate.

News Release Date: Thursday 04 February 2010