D&S, a member of Harvest Housing Group has successfully won a prestigious Gold Award from the Housing Corporation for their initiative Routes 2 Work which tackles worklessness across West Cumbria.
The award recognises Routes 2 Works commitment to breaking through the employment barriers that many people find difficult to break.
The Gold Award scheme aims firstly to recognise excellent practice within the social housing sector and secondly to encourage the sharing of such practice with other housing associations.
Gold Award judges commended D&S's proactive and innovative approach to the problems facing individuals getting back into emplyment by saying:
"This is a unique approach to tackling worklessness in an area which is geographically isolated and has high levels of deprivation: it is one project that can definately be replicated in other areas."
The next stages
The ethos behind the Housing Corporations Gold Awards is knowledge sharing, this will be carried out over a nine month period of dissemination that involves D&S, a member of Harvest Housing Group and Routes 2 Work sharing best practice with other groups, Housing Associations and Government agencies.
We will be holding a programme of events over the coming months which include conferences, seminars and workshops. All designed to share with others looking to tackle worklessness within their region.
A DVD is also available on Routes 2 Work, highlighting the success of Routes 2 Work and its ability to be replicated elsewhere.
Upcoming Events
D&S and Routes 2 Work are currently planning a series of events to take place in late 2008, enabling our success of winning a Gold Award and the knowledge we have gained to be shared with our peers.
Tuesday 2 December 2008 - D&S/Routes 2 Work Conference - The Wave Centre, Maryport, CA15 8AD.
D&S will be holding their knowledge sharing conference entitled "Working together to tackle worklessness" on Tuesday 2 December. The Conference offers delegates the opportunity to discuss the advantages of tacking worklessness in their communities as well as meeting several recipeints of the highly successful Routes 2 Work programme.
To view a copy of the invite, please click on the pdf link below.
Further contact information
For more information on Routes 2 Work's Gold Award win, contact Julie Wedgwood by email on:
To request a copy of the D&S and Routes 2 Work DVD or to register your interest in attending an upcoming event, please contact Helena Banfield on:
Telephone - 0161 248 2393
DOWNLOAD:
To download any of the following materials associated with D&S and the Routes 2 Work initiative, please click on the links below.