AN unemployed Burnley man is gaining vital work experience and improving his job prospects after accepting a voluntary position with Help Direct.

Lee Swales, 36, decided to take a career break from his last job after thinking it would be easy finding work again when he was ready.

However, things did not work out and he is now struggling to find employment.

Now Lee, who attended a Help Direct seminar at Burnley Mechanics, has found a voluntary position that should improve his skills and get him, back to work.

He said: “I’ve had some experience of volunteering in the past, but not to this level.

"I’d always associated it with youth groups – I wasn’t aware of the kind of real working opportunities like the ones Help Direct offers.

“I would highly recommend it. You can get lots of experience of social interaction, which is helpful especially if you’ve been out of work for a while.

“It also builds up your confidence, which helps when applying for jobs and attending interviews.”

Lee is currently helping to update Help Direct’s Wellbeing Directory, a list of services from across Lancashire aiming to improve people’s quality of life, as well as fulfilling various other data entry and admin duties.

For more information, go to the website below.