FIRST Delivers Enterprise Workshops in Stockton, Opening New Pathways for Local Residents
FIRST recently started 2026 with a new partnership in the south of the region, delivering two enterprise-focused workshops in Stockton at Stockton Baptist Church in partnership with Christians Against Poverty (CAP). The sessions were designed to support individuals at an early stage of their journey - including students, sanctuary seekers and migrants - while remaining open and accessible to the wider CAP community.
With around 4.0% of Stockton-on-Tees’ working-age population currently unemployed, the borough faces ongoing economic pressure, making strong skills development and enterprise support essential.
Speaking with Katharine Lam, Job Club Manager and Money Coach at CAP, who has worked at the organisation for 10 years, the FIRST team gained insight into the challenges people in the area face, and the role enterprise skills can play in improving future prospects. Katharine explained that the CAP team believes there should be more opportunities in Stockton that help people improve their future prospects. She noted that many people in the region need support with courage building, UK integration, self-belief, encouragement and hope - all of which closely align with FIRST’s focus on skill building, enterprise development and progression into work, education or self-employment.
Katharine described the two sessions delivered by FIRST as highly beneficial for the community, explaining that they helped participants understand the possibilities, challenges and realities of self-employment as a viable option alongside traditional employment. One attendee later described the sessions as “thought-provoking”, reflecting the impact the workshops had on broadening perspectives and encouraging new ways of thinking. 100% of participants rated the sessions delivered by FIRST as either good, very good or excellent.
Participants were also asked about the biggest barriers to self-employment, with common challenges identified as money, motivation to start, and idea generation; areas that FIRST’s training is specifically designed to support.
The sessions explored key enterprise themes including myth-busting around self-employment, exploring personal values, and supporting individuals to identify what matters to them and how that can help them pursue meaningful, sustainable career opportunities. Several participants shared that they had previously run businesses in their home countries and found FIRST’s sessions valuable in thinking through whether starting a business in the UK was something they would like to pursue. The workshops encouraged them to consider the pros and cons, risks and benefits of running a business in a new environment, helping them make more informed decisions about their future options.
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