Our Projects
Why our projects are different
We design and lead innovative partnership projects that transform the lives of people across Yorkshire.
It’s not what you do, but how you do it….
We get regular feedback from participants and delivery partners that our projects are different to anything they have experienced before. Better Connect projects make people feel like they matter and that their voice is important. People involved in our projects feel empowered to make decisions, supported to try new things and valued just for being themselves.
This is fundamental to our mission and hardwired into everything we do-
- We work with partners, not sub-contractors.
- We support participants, not recipients.
- Our leadership is about empowerment and co-creation, not instructing and enforcing.
Since our inception in 2007, we’ve designed and led dozens of different programmes working with hundreds of partners and transforming the lives of thousands of people. We are excited to share more information about our current projects and the difference they make to people, businesses and communities.
Current Projects
Rise2Thrive
Rise2Thrive is an employability programme for people in North Yorkshire and York who are out of work, or those in work with multiple complex barriers e.g. mental/physical health issues. Rise2Thrive is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity fund (UKSPF)
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Partnership:
Closed for new delivery partners
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Participants:
Open for new participants
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Location:
York and North Yorkshire
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Audience:
Economically Inactive participants and participants in work struggling with neurodiversity, physical health, mental health and disabilities.
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Deadline:
March 2025
SHINE
SHINE is a support programme for people in East Riding who are out of work and have mental/physical health issues, disabilities, and/or are neurodiverse. SHINE is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity fund (UKSPF).
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Partnership:
Closed for new delivery partners
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Participants:
Open for new participants
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Location:
East Riding
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Audience:
Economically inactive participants who are neurodiverse, have a disability, or mental/physical health condition
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Deadline:
February 2025
Multiply
Multiply is the government’s £560 million programme helping to transform the lives of hundreds of thousands of adults across the UK, delivered through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The funding is distributed across local councils and then allocated to providers to deliver various different activities to support individuals with their numeracy skills.
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Partnership:
Closed to new partners
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Participants:
Open to new participants
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Location:
York and North Yorkshire
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Audience:
Organisations and employers able to support participants to develop skills in Maths
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Deadline:
Current delivery by end of March 2025
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Partnership:
Better Connect & Community First Yorkshire
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Participants:
Closed for participants
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Location:
North Yorkshire
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Audience:
A select group of community anchors and hubs across the region
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Deadline:
March 2025
Past Projects
Action Towards Inclusion
Working in partnership with over 50 organisations, Action Towards Inclusion was a life changing programme that supported people unemployed or economically inactive into work. It was Better Confect’s largest scale programme with a £13.2 million investment over 7 years.
Outcomes
3,700 participants worked with
1009 of those went into employment
910 into further education or training.
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Location:
York, North Yorkshire and East Riding
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Lifespan:
2017 – 2023
RISE
RISE was an employability programme for people in North Yorkshire and York. It followed the footsteps of our ATI programme as it was recognised that this support could not be lost across the area. We worked with 21 partners across the local area to support those furthest away from the labour market
Outcomes
429 participants
77 in employment
119 engaging in basic skills
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Location:
York and North Yorkshire
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Lifespan:
2023 – 2024
Thriving at Work
he project aims to support more people to thrive at work. It has a particular focus on supporting inclusive workplaces that can unlock the potential of staff who are neurodiverse, disabled or experience mental health challenges.
Delivered through a network of specialist partners, we can offer 3 packages of support to businesses and people:
Inclusive Workplaces – Support for SME’s to become more inclusive and diverse
Diversity Training – Webinar Series and specialist training for staff
Workplace Support – 1-2-1 coaching and mentoring for employee’s with barriers
Outcomes
801 Participants in total
250 engaged in workplace support
576 engaged in diversity training
40 SME’s engaged
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Location:
York, North Yorkshire and East Riding
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Lifespan:
2021 – 2023
Talent Match
The Leeds City Region Talent Match Programme was a £6.9m investment from the Big Lottery Fund to support young people aged 18-24 across the Leeds City Region to create transformational change in their lives and progress closer to the labour market.
Outcomes
2,500 young people engaged on the programme
500 (20%) of these to be “hidden NEET”
640 young people progressing to employment and sustained employment
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Location:
West Yorkshire
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Lifespan:
2013 – 2019
ESF Community Grants
ESF Community Grants was part of the European Social Fund Programme distributing £2,000,000 in small grants across Humber, York and North Yorkshire areas. Better Connect worked in partnership with Humber Learning Consortium to distribute grants across the region, these grants were used to support individuals to move forward with their lives and closer towards the labour market.
Outcomes
1200 individuals supported through the Community Grants programme
£1,053,694.23 awarded to partners across North Yorkshire
86 completed and went into employment
80 completed and went into further education
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Location:
York & North Yorkshire
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Lifespan:
2012 – 2023
Kickstart
Kickstart provided real job placements for young people aged 16–24 currently claiming Universal Credit, to gain experience, skills, and confidence. Employers received funding for placements of 25 hours/week on the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage depending on the young person’s age.
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Location:
Gateway for organisations across York and North Yorkshire
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Lifespan:
2020 – 2022