People living in the north of the city attending Nottingham North Jobs Fair in March are being offered free health checks as well as opportunities to find work.

The organisers Nottingham City Council and the Rebalancing the Outer Estates Foundation have worked with Public Health England this year to increase the amount of support available to local people, creating a fair which will help residents find work, get free health checks and live healthier lifestyles.

The regular fair, held at the Riverside Sports Hall in Bulwell is within easy reach of communities in the north of the city and is ideal for people of any age looking for work, a change career or to apply for their first full time job after leaving education.

Nearby Bulwell Riverside Centre will host this year’s addition of a health fair where a local pharmacy will be offering free blood pressure and blood sugar checks. Also on offer are free cholesterol and liver checks plus advice about becoming more active or support for anyone living in the area who is experiencing loneliness or has a mental health condition.

Nottingham Jobs staff and partners Futures and the Department for Work and Pensions will be inviting unemployed local residents to come along to the friendly and accessible fair to find out about the variety of job types on offer with local employers of all sizes. Visitors to the fair can expect a friendly and relaxed environment in which to meet other people, search for a role to suit their lifestyle and skills and speak face to face with employers and training providers who are there to help them on their journey into employment.

Nottingham North is the first of three annual and free jobs fairs run by Nottingham City Council and its partners, and in 2020 is expected to attract close to 1000 people from north of the city and beyond.

This busy and popular event has already attracted around 23 employers with over 350 job vacancies available right now. Variety is a strength of the fair with representation from the emergency services, security, transport, hospitality, local government and homecare sectors plus opportunities for self-employment with Avon and other employers.

Community organisations based locally will also be coming along to spend time with people who are looking for advice and support preparing for work, balancing employment with family commitments or who are looking for training or returning to work.

Nottingham North MP Alex Norris says; “This Jobs Fair has been a fixture in our community for many years and has led to lots and lots of local people securing work and training opportunities.

“This year the charity I chair, the Rebalancing the Outer Estates Foundation, has brought even more to local constituents with a fair which will also provide expert advice about health living. Longer term good health, happier relationships, managing challenges and sustainable employment are so important to giving people a higher quality of life and I hope that everyone who comes along can start to build a happier, healthier future as a result.”

Councillor Neghat Khan, Portfolio Holder for Early Years, Education and Employment says; “Nottingham City Council and its many community-based partners are committed to job creation in the city and it is activities like these, in the heart of Nottingham’s communities, which will enable us to meet our manifesto commitments to deliver 15,000 new jobs over the next five years.

“This year, as well as offering the wide range of employment advice and job vacancies this fair has become known for, local health experts will be on hand to support people to make and sustain healthy life choices.

“This will be the first of three jobs fairs across the city this year and it’s very exciting and rewarding to see the hard work and dedication which goes into them for the benefit of unemployed city residents. My message to local people is to come along and take part and for anyone across the city who is looking for work to contact Nottingham Jobs, the city-wide service which offers support and advice wherever people live or how old they are.”

Following on from the success of previous jobs fairs across the city, the aim of the Nottingham North Jobs and Healthy Living Fair is to make it easier for local job seekers to find work.

The event is fully supported by Bulwell Jobcentre Plus who are proactively helping people who are likely to be facing barriers to employment or training by helping them to find out what support is available to them locally. Last year over 1000 people attended the jobs fair with around 10% moving into work or education as a result.

As well as the opportunity for job seekers of any age to speak directly to employers, this year’s fair features a dedicated quiet period for anyone who would prefer to meet employers and training providers in a less busy environment. People who are interested are asked to email BULWELL.ERL@dwp.gov.uk to book their place.

Nottingham North Jobs and Healthy Living Fair will be held on at Bulwell Riverside Sports Hall from 9:30am to 12:30pm Thursday 19 March.

Anyone who wants to attend can pick up a registration form from their local Jobcentre or Library or download a form here.

Registering for the event in advance will mean people save time on the day.

Local job seekers are also being encouraged to register on the new Nottingham Jobs website to find out about the latest job vacancies, apply online and sign up for job lists by email.  www.nottinghamjobs.com