Last updated 11:40, Thursday, 19 June 2008

Gordon and Marina Suth erland have supported each other through difficult and traumatic times.

Back in business: Gordon and Marina Sutherland, who work together for System Recruitment

Yet despite problems that have made them both unable to work, they got back on their feet and are now working together in full-time employment.

Gordon suffers from angina and also experiences pains in his shoulder due to a build-up of calcium. Marina has been battling pseudomyxoma, a rare form of cancer and has received surgery and treatment at Christie Hospital in Manchester.

Neither were sure about the prospects of them finding employment again.

While off work last year due to his shoulder, Gordon was invited to an appointment with Elizabeth Hutchinson at the Jobcentre in Carlisle and Marina went with him for support.

Realising that Gordon and Marina were both in the same situation, Elizabeth, an Incapacity Benefit personal adviser, helped guide and advise them and made sure the transition from benefit to wages was smooth.

Gordon, 53, said: “Elizabeth was absolutely marvellous. She took us to one side and really listened to our needs. She arranged for us to meet with an employer at a job fair and helped everything really come together.”

At the job fair at The Sands Centre last September Gordon and Marina spoke to System Contract Cleaning Services.

Marina, 47, said: “Gordon had worked for them before and so we both lined up interviews and we were offered jobs working together as a team.”

The job involves cleaning at a variety of premises, including show flats in Brampton, DRS in Carlisle and Lloyd Honda in Carlisle, starting work at 6am and working through to the evening with breaks between jobs.

Working together means that the couple, from Morton West in Carlisle, are able to give each other job support.

“I drive, so I take us to each job,” said Marina. “We love the work and can allocate the type of job according to each of our strengths.

“We get to meet different people and there is a lot of variety in the job because we work in so many different places.

“It involves a lot of hard work though.”

When they started their jobs they were eased into it and for the first few months worked limited hours so they could continue to receive Incapacity Benefits.

Then in December last year they started to work full-time and came off benefits.

Marina said: “We were allowed to go back gradually which I think is better than being thrown in at the deep end then struggling and having to go back onto benefits.

“We thought that there was nothing out there for us.

“Gordon thought that being over 50 would be a barrier to finding work and I thought my illness would cause problems, but this isn’t the case.

“Everything fell into place.”

Marina, who has undergone four operations in the past four years, recently had to go into hospital but is recovering well and hopes to start back at work in July.

“Life is for living,” she said. “We are so pleased that we have found a job where we can work together and we get on better than we ever have before!”

And Gordon and Marina are also building on their skills as they work towards an NVQ certificate, which they hope they will finish next year.

Marina said: “I think it is great that we have been given the chance to get a qualification. We are being looked after really well by System and haven’t looked back since starting work.”