By Sarah Dale
28 September 2025
A networking group, which was founded in Teesside to make networking “more fun”, promote business growth and to create an empowered intergenerational community, is launching a seventh venue in September 2025.
NetWORK NotWORK CIC was started in January 2024 as the brainchild of business owners and husband-and-wife team Michael and Kat Carruthers, who wanted to start up a networking group which was “more fun”, but also supported the community.
“We wanted networking to feel like ‘not working’ which is why we came up with the name, NetWORK NotWORK,” explains Kat.
“At our events, our focus is for our members to connect with others in a fun, informal way. It has been great to see so many valuable connections made in the room.
“Owning a business can be isolating and formal networking groups are not for everyone. We aim to provide a fun, non-committal and informal approach.
“NetWORK NotWORK is a community initiative that has a friendly, informal, fun and educational approach to support socioeconomic development. Our social mindset aims to support the physical and mental wellbeing of its members by creating supportive connections in the local community.
“It is also really important to us to ensure that our local community is supported here in the North-east so we have set up several youth programmes for children and young people to learn about enterprise, develop important skills which will see them through to adulthood, and have fun!”
NetWORK NotWORK, which was originally launched in Wynyard Business Park at NetWORK’s headquarters, has evolved to venues in several local authority areas in the North-east. The networking group has events at Stockton (The Globe), Hartlepool (The Black Olive), Darlington (Majestic Theatre), Newcastle (The Maldron Hotel), Sunderland (Sheepfolds Stables), and Durham (Radisson Blu Hotel).
And, from Tuesday, 30th September, NetWORK NotWORK will also be in Redcar at The Regent Cinema, with a Middlesbrough venue coming soon.
“We are so excited about the launch of Redcar’s NetWORK NotWORK event on Tuesday, 30th September, from 10am to 12.30pm,” adds Kat.
“We have established a great presence in Stockton, Hartlepool and across the North- and we will also be rolling out the group to come to Middlesbrough.”
The CIC was created to provide a solution to the challenge of social value that works for businesses, enhances workplace culture, provides seamless CPD opportunities and ensures personal and professional growth.
NetWORK NotWORK is also extremely committed to its younger members and provides a series of programmes, including ‘Level Up! Navigating your way to WORK with NetWORK NotWORK’, supporting individuals not in employment, education or training (NEET), and ‘Ignite XP’, supporting children and young adults from eight to 24, as well as a creative media programme, ‘Junior Journalism’, to give pupils opportunities to explore the world of work, develop vital skills and build their confidence.
“At NWNW we believe that every child and young person deserves the chance to thrive, no matter their background,” says Kat.
“Many of the schools we work with are in areas facing high levels of economic deprivation, where pupils may have limited access to networks, opportunities and role models. By working together with teachers, families and employers, we aim to change this.
“Each programme is carefully designed to complement the national curriculum and links classroom learning with real-world challenges, helping pupils understand not just ‘what’ they are learning, but ‘why’ it matters for their future. Our unique ‘Know, Develop and Grow’ approach to education moves learners from exploratory work to practical application.”
This year, NetWORK NotWORK has also strengthened its board of directors, which now includes Kat and Michael Carruthers, as managing director and operations director respectively, who also run CARRO Studio, HUGO Bea Ltd, Wynyard Property Rentals Ltd and Wynyard Commercial Property Rentals Ltd; Andrew Coxon, as people, culture and learning director, who is managing director of Coxon Business Partners; Sarah Dale and Sarah Walker, as PR directors, who are also co-directors of SASS media Ltd; Jon Hocker, as learning innovations director, who is the founder and CEO of The eLearning Group Ltd; Stephen Hume, as finance director, who is also director of finance at the Racz Group; David Porter, as marketing director, who is also the founder and director of Surge; Geeta Sharma, as policy and public engagement director, who is a local implementation lead; and Rylie Sweeney, as youth director, who is a government and policy advisor for education and youth. The CIC’s partners include legal support from Adeel Bashir, of Nouveau Law, and HR support from Sophie Dodgson, of Beesure HR.
Funding for the Junior Journalism programme was provided by Larch, Thirteen, Asda Foundation and Miller Homes, and the Ignite XP! programme has been funded by Believe Housing and Dogger Bank Wind Farm.
To find out more about NetWORK NotWORK and to register for free at one of the upcoming events, visit www.networknotwork.co.uk
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