Out of work but Martin’s still busy (From Swindon Advertiser)

Out of work but Martin’s still busy

12:10pm Tuesday 31st March 2009

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WHEN Martin Upfold lost his job last year he didn’t sit around twiddling his thumbs.

Instead the 42-year-old from Marlowe Avenue in Park North threw himself into volunteering and will now be one of the stars of a new Sky TV documentary.

Martin, who used to work for Honda, is a presenter for community radio station Swindon 105.5 after joining the station last March.

“I can’t stand to be doing nothing and I have to be out and about or occupied all the time or I would go mad,” he said.

“I love working for Swindon 105.5 and have learned so much here I couldn’t have hoped to have known a year ago.”

Martin became involved in Sky TV when the crew came to Swindon to film a programme on job seeking and what unemployed people get up to when they’re not actively seeking work.

He spends every morning at the job centre and in recruitment agencies looking for work. When he’s not job hunting he’s on the internet surfing job sites.

Despite this he has been unemployed for a year, using his time to learn more about local radio. He arrives at the station five mornings a week just before 7am to ensure the news is broadcast and gets the studios ready for the first presenters of the day.

He’s learnt to edit programmes and is keen to help other volunteers. On Sunday he presents his own show A Touch Of Brass from 6pm to 7pm.

“I’d like to use my skills to get a job in the future,” Martin said. “One thing is that I have become a lot more self- confident which has really opened a lot of doors already. I know now that I have the confidence to work in customer services or a receptionist job – both things I was too shy to do a year ago.

“The voluntary sector isn’t about mowing lawns and fetching the shopping anymore, there are so many more opportunities to learn and acquire new skills.”

The Sky programme will be presented live from the radio station’s studios at the County Ground at 5.30pm next Monday.

Station manager Shirley Ludford, said: “Martin is a genuine and very enthusiastic member of the team. It would be great if he could find paid work using the experiences he’s developed at the station.

“This TV attention has been a very exciting experience for him as well as highlights the role that Swindon 105.5 plays in providing opportunities and training.”

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