Working Well: Support to Succeed: Nicole's Puppy Yoga Story

• The Growth Company delivers the Working Well: Support to Succeed programme across Greater Manchester.
• The programme supports the region's economically inactive residents aged 19 and over into employment, with a dedicated offer for over-50s.
• Find out how it helped Nicole improve her confidence through puppy yoga. 

Commissioned by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Working Well: Support to Succeed engages economically inactive Greater Manchester residents who are not currently accessing support or seeking employment. 

The programme includes dedicated support for residents over the age of 50 who are experiencing age-related challenges, such as concerns about returning to work and developing new skills.

Support to Succeed offers person-centred, one-to-one support, focusing on work experience, life skills, employability skills, and wellbeing.

It aims to help people like Nicole overcome complex barriers and achieve their goals. 

Nicole's Puppy Yoga Story

Nicole joined the Support to Succeed programme in March 2024 after a long period of unemployment.

Being a single parent and having little support from family and friends, Nicole was feeling isolated and marginalised. She was also struggling with her mental health and experiencing high anxiety and low confidence, which made her reluctant to attend potentially beneficial digital skills groups and job clubs. 

Determined to make a change, Nicole worked with her Support to Succeed key worker to build up her motivation and identify something she felt passionate about: animals!

With encouragement and reassurance from her key worker, Nicole attended a puppy yoga session, which she found to enjoyable and relaxing. As the session was focused on the puppies, Nicole’s anxiety was reduced and she felt at ease in the group.

After the session, participants were encouraged to stay for coffee. Nicole ended up chatting to a fellow participant who has similar circumstances to herself. They immediately struck up a friendship and have been regularly meeting up for coffee, which has had a positive impact on Nicole’s life.

Having a positive experience at puppy yoga helped create a solid foundation for Nicole to build on. She is now planning to improve her digital skills and keep working on her mental health. This has benefitted not only Nicole, but also her child, who enjoys time with a mum who has more confidence and plans for happier and less anxious future.

Find Out More

To find out how Working Well: Support to Succeed can help you, visit the programme's website. 

The Growth Company

The Growth Company is an award-winning social enterprise with a 30-year history of enabling growth, creating jobs, and improving lives.

We help people and businesses across the UK to develop, grow, and succeed through a range of employment, skills, and business support services. We provide employment, justice, and health services across Greater Manchester, the Liverpool City Region, Lancashire, Cheshire, and Yorkshire and Humber.

Contact us today to find out more. 

Working Well: Support to Succeed is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The city-region's allocation, managed by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and delivered by The Growth Company, will provide support for up to 4,500 residents between January 2024 and March 2025.