Mum who lost business when daughter became ill has a new lease of life thanks to theme park
A MUM who lost her business when one of her daughters became ill has been given back her independence and has a new job.
Jenny Darlington is now working at Alton Towers theme park after having to give up work last year.
The mum-of-three faced the daunting reality of getting back into work after a tough few months and made the trip to the Job Centre. It was while she was there that she was told the interviews were being held at Alton Towers that day, and she applied for a job as a hotel attendant.
She was successful in her application and says it has given her a new lease of life. She is mum to Molly, aged 11, Amelia, aged six, and threeyear-old Sophie.
The 35-year-old said: “I had my own cleaning company for three years, but when Amelia became poorly last August I wasn’t able to work. She was being sick every day.
“I had to take her out of school and we were going back and forth to the doctor and the hospital. It was a massive stress on the whole family.
“She was just skin and bone. At first they kept saying it was a sickness bug. In the end we had to pay to go private to get her diagnosed. They found she had coeliac disease.
“She is now doing better and is back in school. With the cost of living going up I had to get back to work, but I didn’t have the time to get the business back, or want the stress that goes with it.”
Alton Towers still has more than 300 full and part-time jobs to fill by the summer, in positions including ride hosts and operators, food and beverage, entertainments, housekeeping, hotel restaurant and bar, chefs, night porters, front office staff and lifeguards. The resort has joined forces with Job Centres across Staffordshire to help fill the posts.
Representatives have been travelling to centres to meet, interview and sometimes employ new staff on the same day.
Jenny is now working at the Splash Landings Hotel.
She said: “I work 10am until 2pm. It fits around the kids. It’s brilliant that they are so flexible.
“It’s difficult to get the balance of work and family life, but I think I’ve found it.
“I’ve worked at a few places and this is definitely one of the best.
I feel so much better since I got back into work. It’s been about finding ‘me’ again.”
Anyone interested in applying to work at Alton Towers Resort should go to their local Job Centre or go to http://altontowersjobs.com/