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Economically Inactive Trailblazer Project

The recently launched “Get Britain Working” White Paper outlines Government’s strategy to invest £240m to support the ambition of a national 80% employment rate and help improve workplace health and keep people in work, including trials of combined public services for those out of work due to ill health. The Economic Inactivity Trailblazer is a key element of the Get Britain Working Strategy.   

Project details

Portfolio: Education, skills and inclusion

Funding amount: £10 million

Funder: Department for Work and Pension (DWP)

Project status: Mobilising

Delivery partner: Various – please see below

Key contact email: EI.Trailblazer@northeast-ca.gov.uk

Page last updated 17-06-2026

Supported by

The Economic Inactivity Trailblazer is a £10 million programme funded by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). It aims to help over 2,000 people in the North East who are not working because of ill health. In December 2024 the Mayor secured the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer programme for the North East MSA.

The programme brings together health, employment and skills services to help people who are out of work because of ill health get the support they need to return to employment. It will try out new ways to support people, remove barriers that make it hard to work and make better use of existing services. This will help grow the local economy, improve living standards, reduce child poverty and create more opportunities for everyone. 
​ 
The programme is centred around three priorities:  

Priority 1: Better pathways into employment​

We will create stronger and more joined-up routes into work by coordinating existing services and resources. This will help make employment support more effective and easier to access. 
 
Priority 2: New ways of working​

We will invest in new types of employment support to help residents move into jobs, education or training. This includes testing new ideas and approaches that could be expanded in the future. Our focus includes supporting young people, neurodiverse residents, women, social housing tenants and people receiving primary care. 
 
Priority 3: Systems reform – an integrated approach to health and employment​

We want to break down barriers and redesign services so that health, employment and skills support work together seamlessly, creating a simpler, more effective system for local people. 
 
Lead Delivery Organisations 
The North East MSA is responsible for running and managing the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer programme, which started in March 2025 and will run until March 2026.  

Following a thorough selection process, Lead Delivery Organisations have been chosen to manage each of the three priorities.   
Contact details can be found below. 
 

 

PriorityDelivery organisationProjectContact details
Priority 1 Durham County Council - michelle.blades@durham.gov.uk 
Priority 1 Gateshead Council - JulieKillick@gateshead.gov.uk 
MartinMcDonnell@gateshead.gov.uk 
Priority 1 Newcastle City Council - Robin.Beveridge@newcastle.gov.uk 
Chris.Ord@newcastle.gov.uk 
Priority 1 North Tyneside Council - Claire.Dunn@northtyneside.gov.uk 
Priority 1 Northumberland Council - John.Hildreth@businessnorthumberland.co.uk 
Priority 1 South Tyneside Council - 

Karen.McParlin@southtyneside.gov.uk 
Sara.Dunlop@southtyneside.gov.uk 

Priority 1 Sunderland Council  - Sarah.potts@sunderland.gov.uk 
Jane.thompson@sunderland.gov.uk 
Priority 2.1 (Youth) Groundwork NE & Cumbria Northern Futures jacqui.hodgson@groundwork.org.uk 
Priority 2.1 (Youth) Newcastle United Foundation North East Connected daniel.hancock@nufc.co.uk 
Priority 2.2 (Neurodiverse) North East Autism Society Neurodiversity Employment Service NE john.facchini@ne-as.org.uk 
Priority 2.3 (Primary Care) Edberts House Work for Health deb.pardos-todd@edbertshouse.org  
Priority 2.3 (Primary Care) First Contact Clinical First Contact to Purpose susangill@firstcontactclinical.co.uk  
Priority 2.3 (Primary Care) Recovery Connections LIFT OFF! mark.stephenson@recoveryconnections.org.uk  
Priority 2.3 (Primary Care) Ways To Wellness Foundation Psychosocial employment support for people with chronic conditions and pain simon.bromhead@waystowellness.org.uk  
Priority 2.4 (Social Housing) Citizens Advice Gateshead Hyperlocal Support nick.dixon@citizensadvicegateshead.org.uk
Priority 2.4 (Social Housing) First Contact Clinical First Contact to Progress susangill@firstcontactclinical.co.uk  
Priority 2.5 (Women) Big River Bakery Bee-Leive gail@bigriverbakery.com 
Priority 2.5 (Women) Family Gateway HERizon aimee.perry@familygateway.co.uk 
Priority 2.5 (Women) Groundwork EmpowerHER jacqui.hodgson@groundwork.org.uk 
Priority 2.5 (Women) New College Durham Aspiring to Make Change Lizzie.Dickson@newdur.ac.uk 
Priority 2.5 (Women) Northern Rights Tara South Tyneside angelakellett@northernrights.org.uk 
Priority 2.5 (Women) The Wise Group Durham Women’s Hub elaine_ravenhall@thewisegroup.co.uk 
Priority 2.5 (Women) Uplift Associates My Future, My Path michelle@upliftassociates.co.uk 
Priority 2.6 (Employers) Ingeus Inclusion Works 

lroberts@ingeus.co.uk

Priority 2.6 (Employers) NCG Open Doors: Building Inclusive Workplaces chris.byrne@ncl-coll.ac.uk  
Priority 2.6 (Employers) Society Matters Ready to Recruit Phillcapewell@societymatterscic.com  
Priority 2.6 (Employers) Zenith Training Recruit, Retain & Thrive stevenwelsh@zenithtraining.org.uk
Priority 2 (VCSE Small Grants) Community Foundation North East & Point North VCSE Small Grants ns@communityfoundation.org.uk 

Economic Inactivity Trailblazer market engagement event

On 3 June 2026, the EI Trailblazer team held a market engagement event with specialist providers from across the region focusing on three key areas of the EI Trailblazer programme. These included Unpaid Carers, Ex-Offenders/Prison Leavers and Social Housing.

The event provided the opportunity for providers to hear more about the upcoming funding opportunities for these three areas as well as offering an opportunity to network. Key documents are provided below for your information including the slides and Q&A log. If you are interested in sharing your contact details with other providers to discuss potential partnership bids and consortiums, please complete the Partnership Contact List by 12pm on Friday 12th June. 

Please find below useful links following the market engagement event:

Call for projects: Economic Inactivity Trailblazer year two 

The North East Mayoral Strategic Authority is inviting proposals for a series of region wide projects to support delivery of year two of the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer programme (2026/27). Find out more here.

Evidence and research findings

  • Bridging the data divide: Systemic barriers to employment, health and skills continuity for prison leavers subject to MAPPA arrangements in the North East

Download the report

  • Economic Inactivity in the North East of England:
    Evaluating Employer Understanding, Approach and Outcome Priorities.

Download the report 

  • North East Economic Activity Trailblazer on Supported Accommodation & Employment:
    The Opening Doors Project Research Report

Download the report