A Redditch woman is celebrating her first twelve months as a self-employed jeweller, thanks to help from Jobcentre Plus and the New Deal for Lone Parents.  

Sharon Gayle had worked in the high-pressure world of sales and advertising until the birth of her daughter, who was born blind. Her new commitment to caring meant that all that had to change, and she took a course in silver jewellery making in 1999. She enjoyed it so much that she continued to study at home, going on to college to train as a teacher of basic jewellery making.

Sharon set herself three goals: to run a mobile teaching workshop, to design and create a range of fashionable and contemporary Christian jewellery, and to develop a new approach to jewellery repair.

By 2004 she had finished her studies and was teaching part-time, in the process of designing and making samples for her new collection. All this was put on hold when her father’s health began to deteriorate. Sharon gave up work to care for him but – just two months later - he died. Soon afterwards, returning from visiting family in Jamaica, Sharon came back to bad news – which turned out to have a silver lining.

Sharon said:

“My mother helped financially for my daughter and me to visit her for a month. I didn’t realise that income support stopped after 28 days and not 30, so it was a nightmare to find that I would now be treated as a new claimant. That nightmare turned into a blessing when I heard about the New Deal for Lone Parents, which let me try out my business idea for six months without losing benefits, helped along by expert training and support and a small financial incentive. On 7 May 2005 I made the choice to come off benefits and become fully self-employed and, one year on, my business is prospering and I am planning for the future.”           

Wendy Wiggett, from Jobcentre Plus, said:

“It’s great to celebrate the success of the New Deal programme with someone who has so clearly benefited from what it has to offer. For many people it’s not always easy to overcome the barriers that stand in the way of a return to work. They may need help finding childcare, training to update their skills and or just someone who can talk through their concerns. Sharon shows that New Deal Advisers can provide all that and much more.”

More information about New Deal for Lone Parents is available by calling 0800 587 4242 (7am to 11pm, seven days a week); textphone 0845 606 0680; or by visiting the local Jobcentre or Jobcentre Plus office; or visiting the website www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Customers
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