Wednesday 17th May 2006
FREE DIY SESSIONS FOR WOMEN

Free DIY sessions for women are to lay bare the mysteries of mending a leaking tap, putting up shelves and mending a fuse. The courses, to be run at the North Halifax Skills Centre (formerly Bright Sparks) in Club Lane, Ovenden, are in response to demand and complement other women-only sessions in brickwork, woodwork, painting & decorating and interior design. All the courses are free and funded by the European Social Fund.

“A lot of women have never wielded a spanner or a screwdriver or had the chance to learn how to perform relatively simple DIY jobs”, said Ruth Stead, manager of the North Halifax Skills Centre which is operated by Calderdale College. “We’re putting the ‘handy person’ sessions on because that’s what women are telling us that they need, particularly in a women-only supportive learning environment. There may be some learners who find that they enjoy it so much that they want to progress into a career in construction and we have courses that they can move on to. We’re trying to demystify the basics of construction for women and show them that they can do anything that they want to.”

Taster sessions are running at the North Halifax Skills Centre for women interested in brickwork and woodwork on Wednesday 17 May, followed by a painting & decorating and interior design taster on Friday 19 May within school hours. Courses start on Tuesday 6 June. More information is available from the North Halifax Skills Centre on Halifax 322215.