Our Mission
“To provide opportunity for young and disadvantaged people to develop a variety of technical and life skills working with suitably qualified and competent supervision, providing our customers with quality services, governance and value for money.”
Trades4Care is a community interest company (CIC) and will particularly work in health, social care, education and community venues and facilities as this provides a fantastic opportunity to bring young people at the start of their careers together with older or vulnerable people providing them with new and rewarding experiences, improved communication and social skills.
Trades4Care is a project dedicated to bridging the trade and maintenance gaps for health care, social care, the education sector, local community projects, charities and trusts. Additionally we provide a dedicated home service for the vulnerable and elderly.
The construction industry is expected to grow 1.7% every year for the next 5 years and 2.6 million people are currently employed within the industry therefore collaboration between the sectors requiring support (due to time, people, financial, regulatory or other challenges) quality tradespeople, education and motivated young people is crucial.
This is a collaborative project working closely with local colleges and organisations to provide an enhanced journey of opportunity for our young people, including work placements, life skills, coaching and mentorship, supported by strong supervision and suitably qualified, competent and vetted tradespeople.
Trades4Care have a passion to help young people reach their true potential whilst delivering a first class job.
Deborah Jenkins MBE
Deborah Jenkins is particularly interested in the development of partnerships to address complex problems. Over the last thirty years she has held leadership positions in organisations ranging from tiny third sector projects to major healthcare providers and provided consultancy to many organisations in the UK and abroad. She is strongly committed to the North East, where she has been based since the mid eighties. In addition to running her own consultancy, Kindling Ltd and her work as a director of T4C, she is currently CEO of TDI, a charity working to reduce the risk of sexual offending, and chairs NCFE, the UK’s third biggest qualifications awarding body, the Northern Neonatal Clinical Network, and the Cultura Trust, formerly The North of England Civic Trust. Deborah is honoured to be a Deputy Lieutenant for Tyne and Wear. She was a co-founder of Common Purpose, Vice Chair of the Mental Health Act Commission, Chair of a large integrated NHS Hospitals Trust and founding chair of two new companies delivering chidren’s services, Together for Children in Sunderland, and Brighter Futures for Children in Reading. Deborah has pursued an interest for more than thirty years in the importance of manual skills for health, wealth and happiness, including running the Making Sense project in the 2000s. Her long term ambition is to build a network of new Guildhouses across England to support apprentices and journeymen to become skilled artisans.
Charlie Wright
When my own mother fell ill with dementia I became increasingly committed to her care and helping older and more vulnerable people. At the same time coincidentally Andrew had also taken a year out to care for his ill parents. His father suffering from motor neurone disease and mother with late stage alzheimers. We found a common understanding of the importance of our elderly care needs and the great work that healthcare professionals do in looking after our families. They can be resource stretched at times so at Trades4Care we aim to bridge the gaps between the lack of tradesmen and help that is needed in the care and community sector. Having worked in the health care sector over the past few years I’ve noticed that some young people in care could do with a helping hand in gaining work experience, basic life skills and functional skills. The same can apply to some students in colleges. Myself and Andrew are really passionate about helping young people reach there full potential whilst helping the local care and community sector. We both feel that through Trades4Care we can bring the young, elderly and vulnerable in our communities closer together by enjoying what we do and bringing fun and positivity to our work.
Andrew Coxon
A highly experienced trainer, facilitator, and assessor, she is now working as the director of Trades4Care and a freelance consultant. Andrew has held senior roles including UK Head of Training, Competence, Learning, and Development for Cape PLC and UK Head of Risk Control and Self Assessment and Head of Training for Citigroup. Andrew has a broad range of senior management experience across a range of sectors and roles, as well as a number of qualifications supporting this experience. Leaving school in 1981 without qualifications, he knows how difficult the transition from school to employment and life can be. Andrew cares deeply and looks to make a difference and open doors for people where able, creating an impact on lives. Andrew comes from a strong nursing family background (3 generations). Much of his professional life has been spent working in the NHS, financial services, and engineering and construction sectors, predominantly in governance, training, and learning roles, overseeing supervision and apprentice programmes. He has represented employers and the local community on various public and training boards. He understands ‘’the employers” and knows from firsthand experience the life skills, confidence, and employment transition gaps to bridge to ensure young people are set up for success and reach their full potential. He also understands the importance of mentoring and nurturing young people, having raised his own children into adulthood and being a grandparent. Some need guidance, direction, support, and aftercare. We aim to do this taking an holistic caring, person focussed approach and help people overcome barriers
We are supported by
Gaunless Gateway Big Local