DEPRESSION and mental illnesses can be an underlying issue for many out of work or those who have been made redundant says the founder of a new charity.

The Joseph Carney Memorial Trust has been set up to offer support and guidance for people who find themselves without a job.

Diane Carney from Dentons Green created the charity in memory of her late husband who died aged 50 last September following a battle with depression.

The 47-year-old-nurse explained: “The project is to provide a safety net for people, mostly men, in the borough who have no support mechanism to help them cope with their situation.

“Evidence shows that peer support and one to one counselling sessions and signposting can help alleviate stress and make people more readily able to deal with their problems in a proactive and positive way.”

“Men don’t really talk to each other as much as women. Many are quite proud when it comes to depression, but it can spiral out of control.

“Joe had always worked. He started as a plumber for the council when he was a teenager. He became self employed and would have a contract for six months then it finished. When the recession hit the weeks became months between jobs.

“It was my sister-in-law who said have you ever thought about setting up a charity. We applied to the Big Lottery Fund as we don’t think there is any other service that provides what we do.”

Diane said that St Helens suffers from relatively high unemployment rates compared to the rest of Merseyside and this impacts not just on individuals but families.

The charity will offer and range of services from arming people with strategies to deal with unemployment, creating peer support and build confidence and morale. This could be through volunteering or undergoing extra training to provide a daily structure during their hunt for work.

She said: “When people have been made redundant they can come to us for an assessment. It's not about giving money. It can be practical advice from CVs to interview techniques. A lot of men in their 50s don’t know where to go and Joe was the same.

“We could offer advice on re-training or extending the skills from the jobs they may have just left. We can signpost people to the college for example about what opportunities there are.

“We are really excited about it and our launch night is coming up.”

The event will take place at the Police Club on Bishop Road on Saturday, October 4.

Tickets cost £10 and include a buffet, raffle and live music.

For further details call Diane on 07553091487.