The four lucky individuals each won £100 of shopping vouchers after entering a simple competition at different events held as part of a campaign to help long-term unemployed people back into work.

They are: Pauline Scott and Maria Silva both from North Shields, Umer Farooq from Longbenton and Lisa Boyd from Wallsend.

Sue Reed from VODA and Karen Carr from North Tyneside Council presented the vouchers to the winners at the final event in the current series held at The Meadows Community Centre (Friday 14th March).

The ‘Make Your Life Work’ events were organised by the North Tyneside Strategic Partnership to help people who have been out of work for a long time because of illness, or who are older and need to up skill or who are disabled and struggling to find work.

The events were supported with the help of Deprived Area Funding, which has to be used in those wards with the highest levels of deprivation - Riverside, Chirton, Howdon, Wallsend and Longbenton.

Many people attended the five events staged and a number have gone on to join a range of training programmes which cover such things as IT, Skills for Life, personal skills, as well as more specific training for work skills.

Although Friday’s event was the last in the current road show, anyone interested in checking out training opportunities available in the North Tyneside area can call 0191 293 6510 for further information.