THE Bradford Bulls Foundation is looking to create a support hub at Odsal for local people who have lost their jobs because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The foundation has launched an appeal to help fund the hub, which would provide an IT suite, stationery and reference materials and coaching staff and equipment to deliver a physical activity programme.

"We would like to set it up because people will be having long-term issues post Covid," said Paul Mitchell, head of the Bradford Bulls Foundation.

"We want to help people by getting them back into employment."

Mr Mitchell explained that many people who are already in low wage employment will have suffered redundancy because of Covid, impacting on their mental health and physical wellbeing.

He said the hub would help those people by giving them the best opportunity to return to work, at the same time engaging them with beneficial activities and a support network of their peers, helping to prevent loneliness, improve self-esteem and maintain physical and mental fitness.

The project would adapt the Odsal building to provide a suite of resources for service users to find and apply for employment opportunities online, update and improve their CVs and make use of skills and training videos.

Mr Mitchell said: "Putting in an IT suite will be particularly helpful for people who don't have the IT equipment at home.

"It will also be a quiet, secure space for people to search for jobs and update their CVs.

"We're also including physical activities that people will be able to take part in when they are here.

"The coaches we have to lead these physical activities are trained in mulit-sports activities such as tag rugby, football, cricket and general fitness.

"We'd like to support the community beyond what do in rugby league.

"Our staff are local people who are born and raised in Bradford and they want they can to help their community."

Mr Mitchell said that the foundation is hoping to launch the jobs support hub in the New Year, but he added that how, when and where it would be launched would be dependent on the pandemic.

He said: "We would wanting it be post lockdown, but there are a lot issues that we would need to consider, such as social distancing.

"Our indoor facility where we would have the IT suite is small, so we might have to look at indoor facility somewhere else."

Nearly £1,500 has already been raised for the project with half of the money coming from the Coronavirus Fund. To donate, visit localgiving.org/appeal/bullsfoundationsupporthub/