I was pleased to officially open Farplace Animal Rescue Whitley Bay, a North East based animal rescue helping animals rejected elsewhere recently.

I met staff and volunteers and several Kickstarters, young people taken on for 6 months using the new DWP scheme to give them a start in their careers. Already, 2 of the Kickstarters in Whitley Bay, Matt and Jenna, have made such a difference, Farplace has created new permanent roles for them once their time on the scheme finishes.

It is a pleasure to open the shop formally and to meet young people making their first start in the world of work. They need as many opportunities as possible to gain experience and build their futures and I am delighted to wish Jenna, Matt and all young people well in their future careers.