By Ellis Butcher

Last updated at 12:54, Wednesday, 08 August 2012

Former EastEnders star Melissa Suffield rolled up her sleeves and got stuck into charity work at an animal rescue centre.

Melissa Suffield

The 19-year-old, best known as the soap’s tearaway teen Lucy Beale, linked up with a group of local teenagers taking part in this summer’s National Citizen Service.

They’ve been lending much-needed hands at Wetheriggs Zoo and Animal Centre, Penrith, this week.

It was the final chapter in a three-week long course which, countywide, has seen 500 16 and 17 year-olds developing essential team-working, social and leadership skills.

The courses have been arranged by Penrith-based social enterprise company, Inspira, formerly Connexions Cumbria.

The Government-funded programme strives to equip youngsters from a mix of social backgrounds with the necessary experience to boost their CVs for future employers.

Or as Inspira chief Mark Bowman put it: “Lots of teenagers now leave school sometimes with lots of qualifications, but what employer groups are telling us is that they haven’t always got the life skills, attitude and experience to succeed in employment.”

Melissa, now a jobbing actress, is the project ambassador.

The 19-year-old said: “When they asked me to do it I said yes, because anything that’s for young people is relevant to me because I’m a young person myself.”

Watching events was Nick Hurd, Minister For Civil Society, whose department oversees the “Big Society” agenda.

Mr Hurd said: “I often ask those taking part: ‘what would you have been doing this summer?’ The answer invariably is ‘not a lot’.

“As well as getting teenagers work ready and equipping them with life skills, it exposes them to the work of charities.

“Nationally only nine per cent of the population do 50 per of the volunteering so it’s also about creating the next generation of volunteers.”

Asked what the Government was doing about youth unemployment – estimated at nearly 1 million – he said: “I’m the father of four teenagers myself and it’s tough out there, but we are in better shape than other countries in Europe and we are working very hard as a Government to do what we can.”

Melissa herself knows only too well how hard it is being a teenager trying to get work.

She’s currently discussing a number of projects and has a pantomime in Tunbridge Wells pencilled in for Christmas.

She said of Cumbria: “It’s beautiful. The scenery is amazing but I’m a city girl at heart.”

Taking part was college student Sophia Muirhead, 17, of Denton Holme, Carlisle.

She said: “It’s good to get something like this on your CV and show you’re capable and that you haven’t just hung around Carlisle all summer holidays doing nothing.”

Sophia said of the current job market: “It’s horrible. Hardly anyone is hiring.”

Brad Sowerby, 17, of Appleby, said: “It gives you a lot more confidence about meeting new people.”

First published at 11:28, Wednesday, 08 August 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk