Suffolk Freight Company Inspires Graduates

Ipswich-based freight company, Hemisphere Freight Services, has been helping young people into employment through its support of local charity Inspire Suffolk.

The company, which facilitates international freight forwarding services for commercial customers, announced Inspire Suffolk as its charity of the year in June. The charity delivers a range of structured programmes to young adults, designed to help them overcome personal challenges and get back into employment.

As a new member of the Inspire 30 business club, Hemisphere will be sponsoring two team programmes over the course of the next two years. The 12-week programmes support 16 to 25-year-olds in Suffolk and Norfolk who are not currently in employment, education or training. Run in partnership with the Prince’s Trust, each of the programmes involves various activities designed to improve self-confidence, motivation and self-esteem.

Participants are also required to find work experience as part of the programmes. Having expressed an interest in opportunities at Hemisphere, the company was happy to offer both Mathew Gilson (17) and Dean Lambert (25) a two-week placement. To ensure it was a meaningful and rewarding experience, Hemisphere provided Mathew and Dean with three days of personal instructor training, helping them pass their counterbalance forklift truck test.

Andy Perrin, Managing Director of Hemisphere, attended a couple of the early workshops for the Mid Suffolk programme and also spent a day at Hautbois House in Norwich, where he took part in various outdoor activities. As well as attending additional workshops in November, Andy will also be in attendance to see participants graduate with their Level 1 Prince’s Trust Certificate in Employment, Teamwork and Community Skills.

“One of our core focuses is encouraging young people to pursue a career in logistics and mentoring them to be successful through structured career development,” said Andy. “We admire the fantastic work that Inspire Suffolk does on a daily basis, and it was a pleasure to positively impact the career paths of Mat and Dean.”

For more information about Hemisphere Freight Services, visit hemisphere-freight.com or phone 01473 550 800