Kevin Wright

DurhamEnable are delighted to be delivering Connect to Work in County Durham.

Connect to Work is a free, voluntary programme providing Supported Employment for people with learning disabilities, autism and multiple complex barriers to employment.

The programme offers individual support and job matching services to help people overcome barriers to work and then remain in employment.

It also helps employers retain good staff but are struggling at work because of their disability and or health condition.

Connect to Work is an element of the Governments £240m Get Britain Working Strategy.

Anti-Bullying week starts on Monday 10 November.

Every year, bullying impacts the lives of countless young people and silence helps it grow.

That’s why, this Anti-Bullying Week, we’re empowering young people to use their Power for Good to safely speak up and raise awareness when they see bullying, face to face or online.

Lasting change needs all of us. From playgrounds to parliament, our homes to our phones — we all have a part to play.

Together, we can use our Power for Good to end bullying — for good.

Find out more here: Anti-Bullying Week 2025.

DurhamEnable initially organised Alexandra a work trial at the Manor House Hotel in Bishop Auckland doing housekeeping. After trying the role Alexandra decided she wanted a different type of cleaning job, which resulted in her being supported by DurhamEnable into a role at Hiyed as part of a team of two dedicated cleaners. This was the start of something which has been positive and life changing experience for Alexandra.

Tracy Fee, (Director & Founder of Hiyed) commented “Alexandra’s role here has been such a positive experience for her, and her confidence has grown massively from the shy girl who was hiding behind her hair to someone who is now chattering away, joining in with the office banter, she is very much part of the team now!”

Speaking about working at Hiyed Alexandra said “Since I joined Hiyed…. Well, I love this job! It feels like my family here. We all get on really, really well! The whole team are amazing because I love them so much and then because it’s like being a part of a big family.”

After starting work with Hiyed an opportunity for Alexandra arose to also work at Chester le Street Community Centre. This involved helping to run a group for people who are isolated from the community. As well as preparing the venue for members and managing petty cash, there is also a social element to the role mixing with people, greeting them, and helping them to feel comfortable.

In addition, Alexandra has also joined the Oliver McGowan mandatory training team as a Lived Experience Co-Trainer for learned disabilities with the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training Programme.

Speaking about Alexandra Tracy says “Alexandra is really just building and embracing every life opportunity that’s come along really. She’s much more outgoing, much more confident, than when I first met her, she really benefits from being part of a team.”

Tracy added “DurhamEnable and Hiyed often work together really closely and it’s a really nice partnership between the two services and although we do similar things, it’s not really competitive, because we know there’s hundreds of people that need our support.”

The team at DurhamEnable always take the time to prioritise mental health and wellbeing and understand the importance of looking after both our physical and mental health.

This year for Mental Health Week, Carole one of our Wellbeing Champions, decided it would be fun to randomly assign different challenges or tasks which often help with general wellbeing.

Below are some photos of the staff taking part and enjoying their challenge. We always love to hear what you’re doing to look after your wellbeing and always open to suggestions for our next challenge!

DurhamEnable visited Primark stores in Hartlepool, Darlington and Metro Centre to talk about inclusivity within the workplace.

We gained insights into what a day looks like for a Primark colleague and what they enjoy most about their job.

All the staff were amazing with us and gave so much of their time. They were also happy to answer all of our questions and gave out tips on how to manage a good work life balance.