Derwent and Solway Housing Association

“A unique approach to tackling worklessness in
an area which is geographically isolated and has
high level of deprivation,” said the judges, “and
one that can be replicated in other rural areas.”

One of the most deprived communities in the UK,
West Cumbria has been in economic decline for more
than 30 years. Many households are experiencing
second and third generation unemployment in an
area where jobs are hard to come by.

Routes 2 Work was set up by Derwent & Solway,
a member of the Harvest Group, to help its tenants
and others break through the employment barrier.
Its clients include people with mental health problems,
homeless people, ex-offenders and people with drug
and alcohol problems. A special programme helps lone
parents and those with child care responsibilities into
work through a programme of interventions.

Clients are offered vocational training and help with
the hidden costs of returning to work, among them
fares, work clothes and tools. The project works closely
with Jobcentres.

Working in partnership with Allerdale Borough
Council and a large number of other organisations,
Routes 2 Work set up a training and economic
development centre and launched a series of
initiatives. Among them:

• a retail training project run in partnership with
the Workington Single Regeneration Budget, which
has helped 330 local residents into employment.
Routes 2 Work played a valuable role at the time
of the redevelopment of Workington town centre.
It worked with more than 30 retailers to help people
who lost their jobs when businesses closed down
by introducing them to new and existing businesses
acquiring retail outlets in the town.

• a classroom assistant training programme that has
trained 24 women to an NVQ Level 3 standard. The
trainee support package included financial support
to cover child care and travel costs.

• a local labour in construction project that has
provided training for 173 people. A subsidy that meets most of the
wage costs for the first six months of employment supports
the project. 

 “They were plugged in at every level of the Local
Strategic Partnership (LSP), using their partnerships
to ensure their programmes did not duplicate other
provision. An excellent example of how LSP and Local
Area Agreement targets are translated into local delivery
and real outcomes through partnership working.”