Our 20th birthday

Reed in Partnership is celebrating 20 years of positively transforming people and communities across the UK. Since 1998 we’ve placed over thousands of people who had been long-term unemployed back into work.

We started working in Hackney, East London, to provide additional support to jobseekers in the area. This was one of the worst areas for unemployment in Britain at the time. The government was looking for a partner with experience of jobs and recruitment to help deliver its New Deal programme in the area.

When we opened our doors as a unique pilot in Hackney, with a service that was focussed on 18-24 year olds, the offering was totally new. There was one single principle: no one is unemployable. And at the end of every week, on Friday afternoon, we would fire rockets from the old yard behind our office to celebrate the week’s successes - one rocket for every jobsekeer we had placed into work.

Since then we’ve utilised our ability to help people change their lives for the better in other ways. This has included preventative health support, skills and training provision, education and business support and youth services, including the National Citizens Trust. In 2018 we now have over 600 members of staff supporting people to make life transforming journeys in a range of different ways.

Chris’s Story

When Chris came to use our Better Working Futures service he advised us that he was a qualified Pastry Chef but had been struggling to find work in the industry due to his hearing impairment. With our support, Chris has now set up his own catering business. He said: “I have got the best support I could ever wish for, helping me in areas that I have struggled with in the past but I am now more confident with. I have achieved more than I ever thought.”

Emma’s story

Emma had little confidence and had lost hope in being considered employable when she came to Work Routes - she had no qualifications and a large, young family. Emma’s Employment Adviser helped her to access training to help with her confidence. She has now secured a job at a local care home. She said: “The confidence that this service gave to me helped me realise I was worth more than I put myself down for. I have been able to keep my confidence, as I truly enjoy my job.”

Dorothy’s story

In 2015 we launched Reed Momenta to support people to live healthier lives. One of our participants, Dorothy, in her eighties, said: “I’ve lost about one stone and ten pounds, and I’m feeling fine. I know for sure I will continue this lifestyle after the programme. This service can only do good.”

Joseph’s story

At 16 Joseph spent two weeks travelling as an unaccompanied asylum seeker to the UK. On arrival, he was allocated a social worker arranged for him to take part in Reed in Partnership’s National Citizen Service. Here, Joseph met Tyler. Tyler was diagnosed with Autism as a child and as a result, tends to shy away from new people and crowds. As both they both lived in Ipswich, Tyler’s mum offered to give Joseph a lift to the programme - and from there a lasting friendship flourished. Joseph said: “NCS has given me the chance to meet people in a country where I didn’t know anyone.”

Martin Fallon, Managing Director of Reed in Partnership, said:

“20 years of service is a fantastic achievement. Reed in Partnership’s work has had a significant positive impact on the lives of thousands of people across the UK, and our work continues to provide people with vital support.”

Many thanks to everyone who has been part of our story so far. If you are interested in finding out more about how we can work together over the next 20, join our Partner Network here.