Members of the GEM Participants' Council recently visited the Houses of Parliament, allowing them to learn how British Parliament works and help them build their skill set and knowledge as a council member. 

Sophia Taylor, the Participants' Council Chair shares her story about their trip. 

"I found the visit insightful and thoroughly enjoyable. As a group, I felt we were looked after by involved officials throughout including our parliament tour guide member, the MP's personal assistant and the MP himself Alex Chalk (Cheltenham Borough). 

Alex and his assistant participated with our afternoon tea and he welcomed questions and concerns from the group. He seemed sympathetic, thoughtful and provided some great advice to us on engaging with people to obtain views. 

The tour itself was both educational and exciting, as it covered British Royal History and modern political procedures which form our lives as we know it today. Personally, I have had little knowledge and interest with history and politics of Britain, however my perspective and understanding has changed and widened thanks to the visit. It provided such great information that not only I can use as a GEM representative, but also on a broader scale. 

Additionally, the House of Commons was part of the tour which was really interesting, especially compared with media and television coverage. We saw MPs passionately debating major issues and expressing concern from their constituencies. Somehow, being at the House of Commons in person and seeing live debates made the whole experience more real and mind opening."

If you would like more information about the Participants' Council or would be interested in joining, please feel free to come along to an induction session. The next one is being held on Thursday 31st May from 10.30am until 12pm at GRCC Offices, Community House, 15 College Green, Gloucester, GL1 2LZ. 

Alternatively, you can get in touch with the Participants' Council by emailing gempc@ggtrust.org

Have you ever thought about helping individuals move closer towards or into employment? 

The GEM Project is committed to helping people in Gloucestershire who may be finding it difficult to enter or re-enter the world of work and is looking to recruit two Navigator Developer's to continue offering this support. These positions are available through our partners; The Cheltenham Trust and FRP. 

Our GEM Navigator Developers work directly with individuals signed up to the GEM Project, providing 1:1 support to guide each person throughout their entire journey to help them reach their work related goals. 

For full details about these roles, please visit the following links:

Cheltenham Trust Navigator Developer - Closing date for applications: Friday 1st June

FRP Navigator Developer - Closing date for applications: Friday 25th May 

The GEM Project is jointly funded by the Big Lottery Fund and European Social Fund. 

Ever wondered what the role of the GEM Navigator Developers is?

Ione from Young Gloucestershire explains her role and how this programme can help support people across Gloucestershire who are looking to get back into work. 

Raphael Herzog, General Manager at the Hallmark Hotel, hosted a tour and Q&A session at the recently refurbished hotel in Matson, Gloucester for GEM individuals. The session focused on what it is like to work in the Hospitality industry and gave the group a useful insight into the wide variety of roles available, as well as the potential benefits in working at such a hotel, eg. flexible hours, staff benefits, gym membership etc.

Five GEM participants and a few Navigator Developers attended the session. They began with a tour around the hotel and then gathered in the Boardroom for refreshments and a video explaining the ethos of the hotel chain, which was followed by a Question & Answer session. Raphael spoke enthusiastically about working in the industry and fielded a range of questions from the GEM participants.  

It was a great opportunity for GEM participants to see behind the scenes of the hospitality industry and gain an insight into what it would be like working in this sector. 

For any further information, or if you're interested in these type of opportunities, please contact Sue Guilding, Opportunity Hunter gemsue@ggtrust.org or contact the GEM office on 01452 699741 | gem@ggtrust.org 

The GEM Project appreciates the time invested in Raphael in putting on this session and the hospitality offered to the GEM team. 

Asda's Community Colleague, Fay Edwards, arranged for a group of GEM participants to have a tour of the Asda store in Bruton Way, Gloucester. 

This fact finding tour allowed the group to discover the wide range of job roles which are available in a large retail store. They toured areas in the front and back of the store and spoke to several team members on their way round. Faye was also able to give them some support in understanding the online application process and discussed the possibility of work experience placements in the future. 

Faye is keen to support the GEM Project and fully understands the barriers that some people face when trying to gain employment. Faye said "meeting the individuals from the GEM Project gave us a great opportunity to see what these people have to offer and to help build their confidence in the application process, which some may find quite overwhelming."

The GEM participants involved are working with a number of different Navigator Developers from GL Communities, Nelson Trust, GRCC, National Star College and Inclusion Gloucestershire. They all found it a very useful experience, which will help to support them in their next steps.