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14
May
Knaresborough community group pioneers £10 million government work programme
A Knaresborough charity has become the first to trial a £10 million government programme in North Yorkshire to get people with health conditions back into work.
The Stray Ferret reported in November that ministers had chosen the county to become one of eight ‘trailblazer’ areas that will design better support for people who are economically inactive due to ill health.
The number of people in the county not working due to long-term sickness rose by 72% between 2019 and 2024.
York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority was chosen to develop a 12-month programme to build on work already taking place in the region and test new ideas.
Mayor David Skaith yesterday (May 13) met staff from the programme’s first commissioned service, called Rise2Thrive, which is an existing programme connecting people to work.
The service is overseen by Better Connect, a not-for-profit organisation that operates at Chain Lane Community Hub in Knaresborough.
Natasha Babar-Evans, chief executive at Better Connect, said it would use the funding to support 16–24-year-olds and over-50s who are struggling with long term sickness and people who may be isolated in rural and coastal communities.
She added:
We are delighted to be the first Trailblazer-funded programme to be going live in York and North Yorkshire. Our programme will bring together voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations across the region to provide holistic support to enable people who are economically inactive to overcome barriers and move closer towards and into employment.
Referrals for our trailblazer programme will come from a range of different access points and pathways including existing health and wellbeing hubs.
Grants for community groups
The top three priorities for the trailblazer in York and North Yorkshire are to engage and support people out of work due to ill health; work with employers to help them provide good work opportunities and develop ways in which networks of systems and services can be joined up to make it easier for people seeking work or to stay in work.
Plans for the trailblazer include providing community grants for organisations to deliver initiatives, developing a range of business support for employers and establishing a work, health and skills interchange.
Mr Skaith said:
I’m delighted to see this programme start, tackling these challenges and helping to create healthy and thriving communities. Government has put their confidence in us to test new ways of working and our strong partnerships and appetite for innovation will deliver for people across the region, as well as help shape direction at a national level.
Employment minister Alison McGovern said:
Everyone across the UK should have the opportunity to reach their full potential, but for too long people have been left on the scrapheap and locked out of work. That’s why we are investing £10 million in York and North Yorkshire, to support people in the area back to health and back to work.
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