Equity actor takes to Gloucester streets with cardboard placard pleading: "I need work"
AN Equity accredited actor has taken to the streets of Gloucester to find work.
Matthew Sells, 38, from Stroud, positioned himself on the Cross this morning with a cardboard sign which simply said: "I need work."
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Matthew Sells on the streets of Gloucester (1)
He lives in a semi-detached home with his wife and two young sons, aged five and eight, but has not been able to find work.
Having left school with just a single A level Matthew readily admits he is not the best qualified person job hunting in today's tough economic climate.
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"I've had lots of different jobs in lots of different countries which isn't exactly a brilliant career record but I am hard working, adaptable and I am excellent with customer service." Matthew told TiG.
In recent years he has been leading foraging expeditions in Gloucestershire where he shows people how to find plants and fungi to eat from the environment.
He has also run a market stall selling food he has foraged but the recession has eaten away at all the trade.
"I am also a trained actor," he said, "but I'm a generic actor - look at me - people like this are a dime a dozen.
"I don't have a driving licence and I can't work computers so when I go into the employment agencies they can never find me anything."
Matthew is looking for casual work which will fit around his childcare responsibilities as his wife works full time. He can "drill holes, wait tables, write poetry and arrange flowers" but is willing to turn his hand to anything.
"It is a bit humiliating doing this," he said, "but I am at home on the streets - it's my environment so I thought I would give it a go."
If you can offer Matthew a job call him on 07530984439
4 Comments
by gloscityguy
Thursday, March 07 2013, 5:09AM
“@RoadWombat
It's 3500 in the City of Gloucester,
over 10,000 in the county.
and by you opinion of the unemployed you clearly are lucky enough not to ever have been in that situation yourself, as you would know that you don't get a choice when applying for work, if it is full time and something you can do, then you will lose your benefits if you do not work, and rightly so.
It is more of a case of there not being enough jobs to go round,
a reason why this guy is standing around with a plaque, reminiscent of the great depression.”
by RoadWombat
Thursday, March 07 2013, 12:57AM
“Good luck, mate, you deserve it, but do smarten up. No-one wants to employ a scruff bag and first impressions count!
Out of 3,500 unemployed in the county, you're the only one getting up off your backside and doing something really positive about it, it appears. As the rest seem happy to wait to pick and choose what suits them, quite probably claiming benefits in the meantime, they can't be that desperate.”
by spindles12
Wednesday, March 06 2013, 8:43PM
“Can I just offer a little bit of advice? If you want a job you aren't exactly helping yourself. You say that you are married with children and live in a house but you're dressed and look as if your "home" is a park bench or in a shop doorway. Perhaps if you got yourself a shave and some decent clothes you might get a second glance. Your job record of loads of jobs in loads of different countries might make someone think that you might flit from job to job. It doesn't matter that you only have one A level, my son hasn't even got one and yet runs his own successful business. I'm not too sure that the foraging and selling of food found in the countryside was wise or even legal, what with all the health implications etc.
I hope your job search pays off, with our without my advice.”
by gloscityguy
Wednesday, March 06 2013, 3:26PM
“Lets see all the 3,500 people looking for work in Gloucester take to the streets with placards,
If it were done nationwide then they might realise just how bad it is.
Remember the Thatcher days, with the Specials 'Ghost Town' and UB40's 'One In Ten', Well it is worse today,
and isn't likely to get any better any time soon.
Fair play to this guy, and I hope he finds work.”