Charity moves to bigger things. A CHARITY which provides training for the disabled has moved into a new North Yorkshire premises.

Paperworks Ltd, which provides work experience for people with a range of learning and physical disabilities, has moved into 3,300 sq ft premises in Hookstone, Harrogate.

The move follows an extensive search for larger, low-cost premises by Paperworks, which was founded almost ten years ago. The charity has spent almost all its financial reserves on refurbishing a former warehouse at Hammerain House.

Paperworks, which has four staff, is also a commercial enterprise which offers a range of professional-standard document collating, bookleting, labelling, mailing, and packing services for a variety of private and public sector customers. The venture currently provides work experience and training for 22 trainees, aged between 18 and 64, with disabilities, including sensory impairments and mental health problems.

Manager Gillian Martin says: "Our new premises is a major investment but we are confident that we will win more business and be able to extend the training and work experience we offer as more business realise that they can outsource time-consuming tasks cost-effectively and support a valuable social venture."

Income raised by Paperworks is re-invested in the venture to assist trainees to find full or part-time jobs elsewhere.

Businesses who wish to learn more about Paperworks can contact Gillian Martin on 01423 816999.

More work, less rest and no play

ONE in five York businessmen use work as an excuse not to spend Christmas with relatives, a survey has revealed.

The study showed 20 per cent of people who own small and medium-sized businesses in the city, admit to using work to avoid their family over the festive season.

And 23 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) bosses admitted changing their social plans because of work. Seven per cent already expected to be working on Christmas Day.

The findings, from a survey published by Powergen, revealed that work is never far from the mind of York bosses over Christmas, with nearly one third keeping their work mobile switched on in case of calls and 21 per cent popping into work to double-check lights and alarms.

Woolworths to get revamp

Woolworths public in-store restaurants in Spurriergate, York, as well as Harrogate and Scarborough, are to be refurbished and re-branded as part of a ten-year contract awarded to UK-wide caterer Eurest.

The contract is worth a total annual turnover in restaurant sales of £29 million. Woolworths' 850 employees working within the restaurant will transfer to Eurest.

The York, Harrogate and Scarborough restaurants will be among the first 50 main chain Woolworths stores to operate the new arrangement, with most of the refurbishments expected to be complete within four years.

Initially, Eurest will provide breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea to shoppers, including a range of hot meals, salads and snacks

Higher fliers

Passenger numbers on bmi airlines flights out of Leeds Bradford Airport to Brussels and Jersey last month were substantially up on last year's November figures.

As many as 3,000 people used the company's 40-seater Embraer jets to Brussels - five per cent more than in November 2002 - while 900 flew from Yorkshire's main airport to Jersey - four per cent more. It is part of a general increase of nine per cent in November passengers announced by bmi for all their flights, including Heathrow. That represents 768,341 travellers.

Updated: 13:50 Wednesday, December 10, 2003