A PILOT project in Northumberland is taking a new approach to help unemployed rural residents find work.

The Unemployment Support Group for Haltwhistle is being launched by the West Northumberland Community Buildings Consortium and Community Action Northumberland.

It aims to test out a new approach to helping economically inactive people in rural unemployment hotspots to overcome the barriers preventing them from participating in the labour market.

Participants will be offered the chance to join an informal support group, which meets once a week in a local community centre.

They will be able to meet other people for peer support in a relaxed atmosphere, enjoy a simple lunch, use online job search facilities and access support to help them move towards employment.

The activities offered will be designed as a gentle introduction to job search for those who have difficulty accessing main stream provision.

Areas covered could include personal development, online job searching, writing CVs, preparation for interview, and core work skills such as communication, IT and numeracy.

Participants will be encouraged to move on to volunteering, further training or into employment as best fits the individual's needs.

The six-month pilot project, which will run every Thursday from Haltwhistle Leisure and Swimming Centre, is being launched in early January 2015.

Priority is being given to hard to reach groups such as people with disabilities and health conditions, lone parents, people aged 50 and over and people from ethnic minorities.

Unemployed people can self refer to the project and we will also accept referrals from a wide range of agencies to ensure as many potential beneficiaries are reached as possible.

Potential participants will be encouraged to discuss their hopes and needs before agreeing a programme of activities tailored to their individual needs.

Participation in the project can help people demonstrate that they are carrying out the job search activities required to access job seekers benefits, but participation is entirely voluntary.