Discover our history - Paddington Development Trust

WestminsterWorks forresidentsZsuzsanna Nemeth, 26, lives inPaddington. With the help ofWestminster Works, she recentlyfound a job as a retail assistantwith French Connection on RegentStreet. Zsuzsanna is from Hungaryand has lived in the UK since 2007.She said, ‘At first I couldn’t believeI found a job. I started as a retailassistant with French Connection inearly December 2009, in time forthe Christmas rush. I get to speak toour customers and help them findthe right sizes and styles. I also manthe fitting rooms and fold up ourclothing. It’s all very new to me,but I really love it and want to be abuyer some day. It will be hard workand I have to learn a lot – these aremy first steps to get there.‘I first heard about WestminsterWorks when I saw a leaflet in oneof the libraries. I called them andthe advisor was great – I went to heroffice and everything started there.She told me that shops on RegentStreet were recruiting and helpedme get into a two week retail coursewith The Crown Estate, which wasdelivered by Westminster AdultEducation Service.‘I learned about marketing,management and customer services.We did role play and recorded ourperformances – that really helpedme build up my confidence. Then Ihad an interview with Faheem fromThe Crown Estate – he was selectingpotential candidates for FrenchConnection. My advisor, Janki,helped me with my CV and interviewskills – so I wasn’t too nervous.‘I’m very happy to have found a job.I was unemployed for two months.If you don’t have a job, you’re justhome alone and searching for jobsalone, so it’s hard to find something.PHOTO COURTESY OF WESTMINSTER WORKSTom Faulkner and Zsuzsanna Nemeth, who work at French Connection onRegent Street, are pleased with how Westminster Works has helped them.This is where the advisors can reallyhelp – they know so much moreabout the jobs that are out there. Ihad worked in a five star restaurant inKensington, but I wanted to get intofashion and retail. The Crown Estateand Westminster Works helped meget exactly the job I wanted.‘My advice is to never give up. Go toyour local library, they have lots ofinformation. The Westminster Worksjob advisor system is great, becauseyou always speak to the same personand can build up a real relationship.You can always speak to them and askthem anything you don’t understand.’WestminsterWorks foremployersTom Faulkner, 25, from Greenwich,is Store Manager at FrenchConnection Regent Street. He usedThe Crown Estates free recruitmentservice to find a retail assistant.He said, ‘I was interested in TheCrown Estates project because theyoffer a good screening process.Otherwise, I know nothing about thepeople who apply for work here – Ionly have their CVs and that oftendoesn’t tell me enough about them.‘Faheem from The Crown Estatescreens candidates by the criteriaI set him. I want specific skill setsand he only sent me candidates thatmatch. They even send people toretail and customer service coursesbefore they put them forward. Allthe people that have been passed onto us fit in with our shop.‘In December 2009, we urgentlyneeded more retail assistants andThe Crown Estate put forwardZsuzsanna Nemeth. We did a groupinterview with other candidates, andshe came across very well, a reallystrong candidate.‘This process saved me a lot of timeas otherwise I often have to interviewmore than 30 people. It’s free andanother bonus is that Faheem will lookafter his candidates for six months. It’sa really great safety net for me becausethe advisor will be there to make surethe candidates are happy as well as me.‘I will definitely use The CrownEstates services again when I look torecruit staff. The quality of candidatesis spot on and from our point of viewit’s a good cause too. Because someof the people have been out of workfor some time, they are really keen toget in and do a good job. Zsuzsannais brilliant; she’s always on time andputs a lot of energy into her work.’For more information about WestminsterWorks for Residents and Westminster Worksfor Employers, call 020 7575 3113.PHILIP WOLMUTHAuthor, illustrator and EnterpriseCentre client Rachel Kavuma-Kyagulanyi began telling stories toher children 20 years ago to helpthem cope with losing their father.She would recount the same mythsand legends she heard from her parentswhen she was younger, and now, afterFree seminarsand more at theEnterprise CentreRachel needed help with putting together a businessplan, a profit and loss account and marketing her books.Enterprise Centre case study:Rachel Kavuma-KyagulanyiThe Neighbourhood EnterpriseCentre provides free support tosmall, start-up businesses as wellas people who are hoping to go intoself-employment.The Centre provides micro loans andgrants to local residents who have aviable business idea and need a smallinjection of funds to get them going.The new grant and loan scheme,Healthy Enterprise, is available tostart-up and first-year sustainablebusinesses operating in health andwell-being markets. This innovativefund, offered by NHS Westminster,with support from PDT, is offered ona first-come, first-served basis.PHILIP WOLMUTHmany years working as a teacher bothin Uganda and East London, she ishoping to make a success out of hernew publishing business.Her first book, Njabala, about a little girlstruggling to cope after the loss of herparents, was published in 2006. Nowshe has produced The Leopard and theIt provides loans or grants from £1000to £50,000 to prospective socialenterprises that can demonstrate addedvalue to existing health and wellbeingproducts and services through acomprehensive business plan.Also new is the Centre’s rollingprogramme of free on-site businessseminars. Booking is required.Upcoming seminars are:Goat, which is accompanied by ananimated DVD.Her stories help to improveparent-children relationships,sharing African cultures andhelping early reading. UltimatelyRachel wants them on sale inbookshops, and would love to doreadings of her stories in schools.Rachel, a Westbourne resident,found the NeighbourhoodEnterprise Centre on the Internetwhen planning to start up herown publishing business. Sheneeded help and support withputting together a business plan,making a profit and loss account,and marketing her books.With the Enterprise Centre’s help,the business has now begun andsuccess depends on the sales of herbooks. If things go well, Rachelwants to publish more myths andlegends, with some of her profitsgoing to the Cluster BranchesMinistry here in Westminster,which also helps the Widows andOrphans Project in Uganda.To buy Rachel’s books call her on 0207289 3405 or email rech.joy@fsmail.netTo contact the Enterprise Centre call 0207266 0636 or email kim@pdt.org.ukMon 8 March, 2-4pmIntroduction to Self EmploymentTue 9 MarchHealthy Enterprise Start-up andGrowth Finance (all day induction toregistering as a social enterprise)Wed 10 March, 10am-1pmMarketing Your BusinessFor more information contact Maria or Kim on020 7266 0636, email kim@pdt.org.uk or visitwww.enterprisecentre.org.uk4 5