A YORK job club is celebrating a successful year in which its members have found employment and started education courses.

CAP Job Club, run at Gateway Church in Acomb, is a weekly drop-in club which combines one-to-one consultations, group support and practical sessions that cover topics such as identifying strengths, CV writing and interview techniques.

Of the 22 people to attend the club over last year, six members now have jobs and others have started volunteering or returned to education to allow them to move into their chosen career.

Among their successes is Christine Young, 32, from Acomb, who had been unemployed since February 2014 and had been fruitlessly looking for work.

"The support in confidence building helped the most," she said. "When you are looking for a job you start to feel you are never going to get one. They helped me find my own strengths, which sometimes you can start to doubt.

"They were really helpful in helping me edit my CV. "

By October, Christine had landed a part-time job with a charity as a support worker, a role which has since been made full time.

"I'm really happy, it's the perfect job for me," Christine said.

Her partner Eddie Fritz, 20, has also been attending the club with her and has this week secured a job as a waiter and barista in a cafe.

Eddie volunteered in the cafe at the church before finding paid work. "They help you with practising for interviews and they see qualities in you, you didn't know you had," he said.

The CAP job club is devised by charity Christians Against Poverty which trains churches to help equip people with the skills to find employment. This service has also set up a club in Tang Hall.

The CAP Job Club manager Tess Sherratt said: “It's going really well. It's helped people focus their attention on how to put the necessary steps in place to get to where they want to be.

"We have been really grateful that people have been so positive."

The club aims to run four courses this year. It also runs a social club for unemployed people on Tuesday between 1pm and 3pm to help tackle the isolation that can come with unemployment.

To find out more about CAP Job Clubs or book your place visit: capjobclubs.org or telephone 0800 328 0006