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 R2T partner organisations before on various different programmes since our 2007 inception. 

Over the past few months, we’ve been introducing our Rise2Thrive partners and diving into what they’re offering on the programme. 

This week, we’re excited to introduce St Giles and dedicated York Rise2Thrive contacts, Kelly and Mike, following our recent chat with the team.  

So, who are St Giles? 

Founded over 60 years ago in London, St Giles are a national charity based across the UK.  

Specialising in supporting people ‘held back’ by poverty, homelessness, unemployment, exploitation, abuse, and the criminal justice system, the team pride themselves upon using genuine real-life experience to provide ‘advice, training and support to people facing challenges today’.  

For the charity, lived experience – whether direct or indirect – is at the heart of everything they do, informing their person and experience led approach.  

Across their many bases, the team offer a wide range of support, including:  

• Services helping individuals and families facing poverty
• Help for vulnerable young people involved in, or at risk of, criminal exploitation 
• Services for adults and young people helping them access employment and training opportunities 
• Specialist services for vulnerable women and families 
• Prison and community-based support for people caught in a cycle of being involved in the criminal justice system
• Peer Advisory Network  

Since extending their services to North Yorkshire three years ago, the team have come a “long way”, making strides working within schools, offering up their peer hubs, developing their services for women – and now – partnering with us on Rise2Thrive.  

What are the team offering on R2T? 

Across the programme, Mike and Kelly are delivering a host of practical and personal support, but ultimately, they’re delivering what people need – listening, leaning in to participants, and offering a new angle for their cohort to tackle some of their long-standing barriers:  

“We’re delivering accredited learning, we’re delivering debt advice, we’re delivering budgeting skills, wellbeing advice but mainly, we’re delivering what people say they need.” 

For everyone they work with, the journey is different, something Kelly and Mike are keen to emphasise. For one participant, a gentle nudge to join a local writer’s group has unlocked new connections and confidence. For another, attending a weekly Warhammer night has encouraged him to venture out of the house far more regularly than before: 

“It’s really worked wonders for him. He now goes out to a café with his mum and sits with people and chats. But until very recently, he left the house once a month, if that.” 

In Mike’s words, their approach to delivery is “pastoral” – a considered blend of emotional support, guidance, and practical help, with a keen focus on the ‘’little wins’’. (Which, when stacked, can have a profoundly positive impact).  

Alongside the support on offer to tackle social exclusion and poor mental health, traditional employability support is also on the cards – think careers advice, CV building, letter writing, and job searching.  

There’s plenty of linking to their longer standing services too, allowing participants access to a wide range of guidance and support.  

What’s the best thing about Rise2Thrive for St Giles? 

For the team, part of the programme’s appeal is the flexible model. It’s a structure which accommodates the needs and nuances of the people they support – allowing them to put employability on the backburner for those not yet ready to start work.   

The “diverse caseload” is a huge bonus too. As it stands, a quarter of the people the team are supporting on Rise2Thrive are currently in employment, a demographic that Mike and Kelly are actively excited about working with:  

“Part of it is the diversity of the caseload, it’s so massively diverse.  Age isn’t an issue, education’s not an issue, employment status isn’t an issue (…) we can even work with people in work.” 

Partnership working also has its appeal for the duo. Being part of the R2T network enables them to “widen the scope” of what they can do for their participants and build lasting connections with like-minded organisations:  

“It’s the collaboration, working together with different specialisms and skills – the different specialisms are key for me.” 

For Kelly and Mike, Rise2Thrive allows them flexibility in their approach, the opportunity to support participants at all stages of their employment journey, and the chance to take stock of those ever important “little wins”.

We’re excited to have St Giles aboard our partnership and can’t wait to capture more of the life-changing support they’re delivering across the programme.   

• For more on St Giles, head to their website Home – St Giles (stgilestrust.org.uk) 

• To refer an individual for support on our R2T programme with St Giles or another one of our fantastic partners, contact our team @ rise2thrive@betterconnect.org.uk