A RECOVERING alcoholic who hadn’t worked for 37 years and was too fearful to take public transport has praised a Glasgow firm for “changing her life.”

Isobel Reid, 56, from Partick, has battled with a serious back condition, mental health problems and alcohol addiction for much of her adult life.

She gave up drinking four years ago and was determined to find work but with no qualifications or recent work experience she feared her chances of securing a job were slim.

She was referred to employment specialist Ingeus and after some confidence-building work she landed a cleaning role with Glasgow-based Mitie Clean Environments.

She said: “I really thought my working days were over.

“I was bag of nerves to begin with, unable to travel on public transport or take part in the Ingeus group sessions.

“Ingeus doesn’t push you to do anything you don’t want to, but gives you the self-belief and motivation to take small steps.

“Slowly my nerves settled and I really benefitted from hearing the experiences of other Ingeus clients.”

“I felt really important; to think a large company like Mitie wanted me.

“When I heard I had got the job, I was walking on air.

“I am so much more outgoing now and hope that my experiences can help others in similar situations.

“I’ve learnt not to make excuses for myself. I got help, got a job, and it’s changed my life.”

The Mitie Foundation is an independent charity funded by Mitie Group plc, whose aim is to improve employment chances for those furthest from the job market.

Ingeus works with long-term unemployed on behalf of the Scottish Government to give them the skills, confidence and practical support they need to get into work.

Anthony Philip, Ingeus’ employer partnership coordinator, said: “The employers and partners that Ingeus works with realise that there are talented, work-ready people out there who just need to be given a chance.”

Isobel’s line manager at Mitie, Service Support Manager Jeanette Rollo, said: “We look beyond people’s history and gaps in their CV.

“It was immediately obvious that Isobel was polite and keen to work. We’ve gained a real star, Isobel is perfect for this job.”