Charlie* is a 33-year old male who has suffered with mental health issues and was not IT literate. He came to the Building Bridges programme looking to learn computer skills and receive support to find volunteering placements, ensuring he could gain valuable work experience.

In the short term, Building Bridges was able to help Charlie gain a Maths qualification and to take up some volunteering opportunities.

He is now enrolled on a series of Boost courses delivered by our own Family and Community Learning team, as part of the employability initiatives on offer at Wiltshire Council.

With the Building Bridges team and his mentor, Woody, has created his CV and tapped into the ‘hidden jobs’ market in his local area. Charlie is optimistic about his future, even in these economically uncertain times, and credits Building Bridges with giving him the support and guidance he needs to find employment.

A completely voluntary, free-of-charge service, Building Bridges works with people one-on-one with mentors tailoring their support to each individual case.

(*please note: all names have been changed)