A FORMER journalist from Weston has overcome the blow of being made redundant by establishing her own public relations firm.

Vicki FitzGerald, aged 30, set up Paramount PR, a consultancy in the resort, after being made redundant from the Bristol Evening Post.

The mum-of-two felt with unemployment levels at their highest level since 1994, she would put her skills to use and set up her own business.

Mrs FitzGerald, a former Priory Community School pupil, said: “People say that being made redundant is the best thing that could have happened to them and I agree.

“This has been a positive life change allowing me to set up my own company and to devote more time to my two young children.

“I can now use the skills I have developed in the past nine years to help businesses who do not have the time to handle their own publicity.”