Shaw Trust celebrates supporting 2,000 people in South Yorkshire

21 November
An orange background with a man, from shoulders upwards smiling. He has short dark hair with a thin moustache and beard. He is wearing a pale blue shirt with a grey ribbed jumper over the top. Text above him reads “Over 1,000 people have found, returned or remained in employment with Working Win.”
Inspiring stories were shared at Rotherham football club on 21st November 2024, as part of an event celebrating a milestone 2,000 people supported by the ‘Working Win programme. Working Win is a free service based in South Yorkshire which aims to support those who have a physical and/or mental health condition and would like to find or stay in meaningful employment. The event was attended by senior leaders from South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, the NHS and Shaw Trust who got to hear first-hand about the life-changing impact the service has had. Inspiring stories of personal transformation were shared at the event, which celebrated the achievements of people who have come through the programme, as well as the professionals who supported them.

BBC Radio Sheffield covered the event, speaking to Anthony Dandrea, Head of IPS and Integrated Services at Shaw Trust about the Working Win service and the celebration event itself. Listen to the clip to the right:

Video description: an orange background hosts text at the top that reads “Talking about Working Win live on BBC Breakfast!” Central to the image is a photo of Ellie, the radio host, who is a white woman with long blonde hair, wearing a red jumper and her arms folded. The subtitles appear below her.

Download transcript

Working Win focuses on linking work and health by bringing employment support into healthcare teams to make sure help is available to everyone. 

During the event, four participants took to the stage during this event to tell their stories:

Andrea left her previous role because of poor mental health and struggled to see how her skills could be applied in a work environment. After just one month with her dedicated employment specialist, Andrea was back in a permanent job that has allowed her work/life balance to improve.
Clare dreamt of being a make-up artist but her Hyperthyroidism made it difficult to find work. With support from Working Win, Clare has become self-employed, setting up her own business which now has a combined following of 3,000 people and growing!
Frazer has Schizophrenia but was keen to find work to improve his social skills, feel busy and do something worthwhile. With a keen interest in sports, Frazer’s employment specialist helped him to secure a part time role as a racetrack assistant. He now feels much more confident in his abilities.
Jack was a singer for 20 years, doing around 200 gigs a year until the pandemic hit and he found himself out of work, impacting his mental health. Sharing his passion for leather work, Working Win helped Jack to start his own business making bespoke leather travel items and instrument cases. He still does around 40 gigs per year and even performed at this celebration event!

With an increasing focus on the links between work and health, services like Working Win are needed more than ever before.

On average, unemployed people who join Working Win get a job within the first 100 days. In partnership with South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and the NHS, you can find more information on the Working Win service.

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