Cariad Pet Therapy’s Pembrokeshire pet food bank is running an employment support programme to help people gain workplace training, experience, and skills.

The project is called arcaid (an anagram of Cariad) is currently supporting participants and has further volunteering opportunities available with immediate starts.

​Cariad Pet Therapy whose food bank is at Haverfordwest received funding from the European Social Fund through the Welsh Government to support people aged 25 and over who have been out of work for 12 months to enable them to return to a work environment, by:

• offering and signposting meaningful volunteer placements and aspirational employment opportunities.

• providing vocational training to raise skills, knowledge, and confidence.

• utilising strengths and interests as the key foundations to see value in the workplace.

• enabling a socially inclusive work environment that ensures equality for all with an emphasis on wellness and emotional health.

Cariad Pet Therapy is a Disability Confident Employer and the overarching benefits of the arcaid project within Pembrokeshire include the delivering of economic growth and jobs, helping to build a thriving and prosperous economy, raising skills, helping people into work, improving the lives of people and communities, and tackling poverty, and ensuring equal opportunities for all.

“We are grateful to WCVA for supporting us with the funding and the project guidance,” said Robert Thomas from Cariad Pet Therapy.

“We have already had have participants move onto employment after volunteering with us which is a positive outcome.

“We find our environment is a supportive one where we help pet owners who are experiencing financial hardship.

“Pet food poverty is something that impacts many pet owners and pets, especially with the rise with the current cost of living.

“To date the pet food bank has donated over 135,000 pet food meals across Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire.

To find out about volunteering please contact Robert on 07388542316 or via their website www.cariadpettherapy.co.uk or visit Cariad Pet Food Bank at 113 City Road, Haverfordwest, SA61 2RR where it is open Monday to Thursday, between 9 am and 1 pm.