Rise2Thrive Trailblazer

Partnership

Closed for new delivery partners

Participants

Open for new participants

Location

York and North Yorkshire

Audience

Economically inactive individuals, or individuals in work experiencing significant barriers to progression

Deadline

31st March 2026

What is Rise2Thrive Trailblazer?

Funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the Mayoral Combined Authority through the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer, Rise2Thrive and Trailblazer are two complementary employability support programmes delivered through a unified, collaborative partnership.

These partnership programmes are designed for adults in York and North Yorkshire who are economically inactive and facing barriers to engaging with employment and training opportunities, or those in employment and facing significant barriers to career progression.

Through the programmes, individuals receive tailored 1-2-1 advice, mentoring and employability support, and have access to specific interventions designed to help tackle their barriers.

This combination of support is designed to improve people’s health, confidence, skills, circumstances and ultimately their employability, moving them closer towards a position where they are thriving in their life and in work.

Whilst the Rise2Thrive focuses on supporting those both inside and outside of work, the Trailblazer exclusively offers enhanced support to key cohorts of economically inactive people, with a specific focus on supporting:

  • 16-24yr olds
  • 50-64yr olds
  • Individuals experiencing long term sickness
  • Rural and coastal inactive communities

Rise2Thrive and Trailblazer run from May 2025 through until March 2026.

How does it work?

Rise2Thrive Trailblazer is delivered through a partnership of 35 hyper-local voluntary and community sector organisations, all with different specialisms, based across the breadth of York and North Yorkshire.

The projects utilise our tried and tested Keyworker and Intervention model. Interested participants initially arrange to meet with a Keyworker who discusses the project and checks eligibility and suitability. If the project is suitable, the Keyworker signs the participant up and becomes their main project mentor, providing them with tailored 1-2-1 support and mentoring for the whole time they remain on the programme. If specific barriers are identified, then Keyworkers can refer participants to access project interventions. Interventions cover a range of areas including; therapy and counselling, debt advice and financial support, housing support, wellbeing activities, basic skills and vocational training.

Check Out The Launch Below!

News and Updates

A New Chapter: Launching Rise2Thrive & Trailblazer

Blog Impact news item Rise2Thrive & Trailblazer

We’re Excited to Announce the Launch of Rise2Thrive and Trailblazer!   On the 13th of May, we officially launched Rise2Thrive and Trailblazer — our two newest partnership programmes designed to unlock potential and expand opportunities for adults across York and North Yorkshire. Joined by our partnership of locally rooted community organisations, the Mayor of York

Launches, Awards & Life Changing Transformation: Celebrating a Year in Programmes

Blog Impact multiply news item Rise2Thrive SHINE

  It’s been a busy year for programmes at Better Connect.   Last March, we kicked off the last year of Multiply delivery (year 3 of 3) with a bang, commissioning two cases studies with Inspired Youth, and in May, excitedly welcomed Rise2Thrive and SHINE to our programme offer. Over the past 12 months, we’ve

Life in Colour – Impact Event

Blog Impact multiply news item Rise2Thrive SHINE

  On Friday 31st January, we held an event at Cedar Court Hotel in Harrogate to celebrate the impact of our programmes and partnerships across Yorkshire. This was our largest event ever with 150 people booked on, our partners, participants, friends and key people from across Yorkshire. The theme of the event was ‘Life in

Partnerships in Action – Rural Arts & Thrive Outside

Blog Impact Mental Health news item Rise2Thrive

  In September, our team spent an inspiring morning capturing some of the support taking place on the Rise2Thrive [R2T] programme with two of our delivery partners, Thirsk based charity Rural Arts, and York based Thrive Outside – a nature-based CIC combining their love of green spaces with outdoor crafts. Part of an ongoing collaboration

Rise2Thrive – Meet St Giles

Blog Impact news item Rise2Thrive

  We’ve recently launched a new programme for the people of York and North Yorkshire – have you heard? Following the success of our RISE programme, Rise2Thrive (R2T) is the new iteration, with new partners and a mission to support individuals at all stages of their employment journey.  30 partners strong, we’ve collaborated with many of our

Upcycling, Furniture Restoration & Community Engagement – Meet Futureworks

Blog Impact Mental Health multiply news item Rise2Thrive

Our Impact team recently spent the day in Scarborough visiting Futureworks, before heading down to Mindful Photography UK’s exhibition at The Street.  Having worked with us over many years and multiple programmes, it’s clear the positive impact that Futureworks have on the Scarborough community, and it’s a pleasure to have the team as part of

Reflections & New Connections – Orb’s Ways to Wellbeing Group

Blog Impact Mental Health news item Rise2Thrive Wellbeing Resources

  A couple of weeks ago, our impact team had the opportunity to sit in on a session with Orb Community Arts (one of our brilliant R2T and Multiply partners) and to speak with some of their service users about a course they’d taken part in with the arts-based charity. Meeting Gemma and Barbara amidst

Mindful Photography UK – New Rise2Thrive Partner

Blog news item Rise2Thrive

  We’ve recently launched a new programme for the people of York and North Yorkshire – have you heard? Following the success of our RISE programme, Rise2Thrive (R2T) is the new iteration, with new partners and a mission to support individuals at all stages of their employment journey to boot. 33 partners strong, we’ve collaborated

Harrogate Skills For Living – Meet one of our R2T Partners!

Blog Disability Impact news item Rise2Thrive Thriving at Work

  We’ve recently launched a new programme for the people of York and North Yorkshire – have you heard? Following the success of our RISE programme, Rise2Thrive (R2T) is the new iteration, with new partners and a mission to support individuals at all stages of their employment journey to boot. 33 partners strong, we’ve collaborated

Meet Our RT2 Partners – Training For Employment

Blog Impact news item Rise2Thrive

  We’ve recently launched a new programme for the people of York and North Yorkshire – have you heard? Following the success of our RISE programme, Rise2Thrive (R2T) is the new iteration, with new partners and a mission to support individuals at all stages of their employment journey to boot. 33 partners strong, we’ve collaborated

A Final Look- Celebrating The Impact of RISE

Blog Impact news item Research & Reports RISE Rise2Thrive

  At the end of April, delivery officially finished for our yearlong RISE programme, a programme headed by a partnership of 21 community-based organisations across York and North Yorkshire, and led by Better Connect. Lately, we’ve spoken a lot about qualitative impact- of the lives the programme has supported and, in some cases, transformed. We’ve

Luke’s Story on RISE

Blog Impact Mental Health news item RISE Rise2Thrive

        As part of our RISE celebration series and as we conclude the programme, today the focus is on Luke’s journey with RISE partner Foundation UK, and dedicated Selby & Harrogate based Keyworker, Joanna (Jo). Based across the North of England, Foundation UK have been working with care leavers, domestic abuse victims,

Launching Rise2Thrive

Blog Impact news item RISE Rise2Thrive Thriving at Work

  We are excited to share with you that we have been successful at securing a new partnership programme across York and North Yorkshire, Rise2Thrive! Rise2Thrive is funded through the governments UKSPF fund, and distributed across North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council. What is Rise2Thrive? Building off the success from our previous programmes,

The Team