A NEW service is helping to show disabled people the range of job opportunities available in the county.

Dr Ray Jones, director of adult and community services for Wiltshire County Council, helped officially launch Shaw Trust Wiltshire on Monday.

The project, based in Bath Road, Melksham, supports disabled and disadvantaged people in their search for work.

About 100 clients are already on the books, and co-ordinator Sheila Finlayson is looking forward to helping even more people.

She said: "We've been delivering this service for just over six months and it really is making a difference to a lot of people.

"They can be working from anything between two hours a week to full time, but the main point is people have the support and advice to help them overcome any barriers they may have to finding a job."

The project offers one-to-one support and weekly job clubs which include sessions on confidence building, self-esteem, CV writing, looking at the local job market, interview techniques and advice on how to fill in application forms.

Shaw Trust, which is celebrating its 21st anniversary this year, is a national charity providing training and work opportunities for more than 15,000 disabled and disadvantaged people each year in the UK.

Dr Jones said: "It's good to be working in partnership with a national organisation to provide employment opportunities for disabled people. "We hope it will make a real difference to disabled people across Wiltshire."

Disabled people across the country gathered in Birmingham last month for the first sitting of the UK Disabled People's Parliament (UKDPP).

Members debated key issues including employment discrimination and a new Freedom and Rights bill, which is being touted as a replacement for the Disability Discrimination Act.

Andy Rickell, director of the British Council of Disabled People, said: "This is the first time such an event has been organised by disabled people for disabled people.

"This is an opportunity for disabled people to truly represent themselves, rather than having words put in their mouths by disability organisations run by non-disabled people."

The parliament has been funded as part of the European Year on Disabled People 2003.

bpayne@newswilts.co.uk