Job support group celebrate 10 years of success

Northern Rights was launched in 2012 by Katherine Murray and Dawn Brown, who set up the company specifically to help disadvantaged people who faced physical, social or mental health challenges which had prevented them from entering or remaining in employment, because they felt the existing models weren’t fit for purpose.

Initially based in East Durham, Dawn and Katherine invested their own personal savings and launched with just one member of staff – but now employ 63 people and have plans to recruit at least a further 10 people during 2022.

Katherine said: “The growth of our organisation has been significant, however what’s even more rewarding is when we hear from the people we’ve helped over the years who, thanks to the support they’ve had from Northern Rights, are now in secure employment, in jobs they genuinely enjoy but never thought possible.”

Dawn Brown added: “We have all worked extremely hard to succeed in the welfare to work sector dominated by the financial might of national and multinational corporations.

“Through our localised model, which has been developed by people with a real understanding of our local communities, we can offer appropriate levels of support to the people who need it most.

Northern Rights now has offices in Peterlee, Sunderland, and South Shields, and offers one-to-one and group support in areas including basic skills improvement, CV building, confidence building and interview technique training.

Northern Rights also works with a number of high-profile orhanisations – including Gentoo, the Department for Work and Pensions, METEC, DXC, South Tyneside Homes and the local authorities in Sunderland, South Tyneside, and County Durham.

Katherine added: “Having achieved so much in our first 10 years, our mission now is to be recognised as the best welfare to work organisation in the North East and one that people want to work with as they know we will improve their life chances.

“We love what we do and know we do make a genuine difference to the people who come through our doors.”