GUEST COLUMN: Success at Ashfield jobs fair, by Ashfield MP Gloria De Piero

Hundreds of people flocked through the doors of the Festival Hall leisure centre last Friday as the latest annual jobs fair was held. I worked hard to get as many local businesses there as possible.

Yet again it looks like it has been hugely successful in helping Ashfield folk who were looking for work to find a new job.

Around 550 people attended and in total there were a massive 770 jobs and 70 apprenticeships on offer. It was great to see that there were so many top quality employers offering quality jobs, which is exactly what Ashfield needs.

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These included Skanska recruiting people to be trained up in fireproofing and Trent Barton, which was looking for a number of new bus drivers. f you have success in finding a new job then do let me know – I would love to hear your story and your experience of the jobs fair.

If you or a loved one are in need of a new heart, lungs, liver or other organ, you will already know how vital it is that people sign up to be on the organ donation register. But many of us have probably not given organ donation more than a cursory thought and do not understand just how important it is to donate your organs after your death.

I heard some really inspiring stories from people awaiting a donation and from relatives of donors at the organ donation event held at King’s Mill Hospital last week.

I am delighted to hear that over the three days, 288 new people signed up to become organ donors. You can sign up at www.organdonation.nhs.uk and fill out your details or you can telephone 0300 123 23 23 and it is really important that anyone who does want to be an organ donor lets their family know so they can honour your wishes. Please do think about signing the register if you haven’t already.

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Lastly I want to give a quick mention to Ashfield District Council deputy leader Don Davis, who is cycling the 140 miles from Whitehaven to Whitley Bay to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK. I wish Don and his two friends who are also taking part all the best. You can sponsor them by visiting www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Don-Davis1.