GLOUCESTERSHIRE County Council’s Forwards employment service is celebrating its tenth anniversary.

The service has supported over 1,600 people with barriers preventing work and offered personal guidance and support.

In the last ten years, over 1,500 people have been supported into work through the council’s programmes, with 85 per cent remaining in employment for at least 52 weeks.

Cllr David Gray, cabinet member for the economy, said: “For the last 10 years, Forwards has helped us achieve our vision of making Gloucestershire a place where everyone has an opportunity to contribute and thrive. Helping local people access local jobs helps Gloucestershire’s economy, and through the work Forwards does with our employers creating inclusive workplaces, we are creating sustainable change.”