A Successful RISE Programme Launch
On Tuesday 18th July, we officially launched RISE– our latest project, with the help of our fantastic partnership and The Marketing Optimist. Hosted at The Balcony Sports Bar in Harrogate, the RISE Partnership came together for the first time to celebrate the launch, share successes, and collaborate on a peer support tool to keep the partnership connected.
The buzz was palpable, and it was great to see so many of the organisations we work with connecting and sharing their experiences. We talked facts and figures, delineated differences between RISE and its predecessor Action Towards Inclusion, and eagerly introduced the idea behind the RISE logo and our new mascot Ash, the phoenix.
RISE has been operational since May, and our partners have been working tirelessly to support individuals furthest from the labour market within their communities. The programme comes at a time when the number of economically inactive individuals in the UK remains high- partially due to increasing levels of long term sickness.
To help tackle these trends in economic inactivity, we have proudly partnered with various organisations to deliver the RISE programme in local communities. The goal is to offer sustainable support on a 1-1 basis, helping individuals to move closer to the labour market, develop their skills, and improve their wellbeing.
Here is what RISE Project Manager Joe, had to say:
“We’re really lucky to be working with some amazing partners to deliver various areas of support including therapy and counselling, financial support, housing support, wellbeing activities, basic skills qualifications, vocational training and more (…) We want to encourage anyone in North Yorkshire or York finding themselves in a situation where they are facing barriers to getting into employment or training to get in touch with us.’’
Since mid-May, 72 people have already enrolled on RISE (against a forecast of 46) and begun receiving some much-needed support.
If you want to make a referral or are interested in joining the programme yourself, please learn more here, and get in touch via –
01423 795300 or email [email protected]
Post by Laura Sandiford
Impact Coordinator
A keen storyteller, collaborator and engagement enthusiast, Laura works alongside Hannah as the Impact Coordinator, where she measures and highlights the impact of Better Connect across its business, programmes, and partnerships. She does so by working with a range of people to gather information and stories, which she then translates into engaging content across Better Connect’s channels.
Building relationships and networks is a large part of Laura’s role, alongside ensuring the ‘’Better Connect story’’ is woven throughout all communications.
Laura’s favourite part of the role is connecting with the faces behind the case studies and giving voice to their experiences.
Learn more about Laura