By Sarah Dale
5 February 2026
NetWORK NotWORK CIC prides itself on running a series of networking events which are fun, free and accessible to everyone – and now it has expanded into Middlesbrough.
The first event in the town was held on Thursday [29th January] at Teesside University’s Launchpad – NetWORK NotWORK’s venue for the Middlesbrough events – and was attended by 34 people.
The Middlesbrough launch follows the success of Redcar’s launch in October last year in partnership with Redcar and Cleveland Council.
Regular events are also held across the North-east in Stockton, Newcastle, Durham, Darlington, Hartlepool and Sunderland with new venues due to launch later this year.
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, promoted business growth and created an empowered intergenerational community.
“NetWORK NotWORK is a community initiative that has a friendly, informal, fun and educational approach to support socioeconomic development,” said Kat, who recently completed her PHD in occupational justice: parenting a preterm infant prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“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!
“We were delighted to host the first NetWORK NotWORK event in Middlesbrough.”
The speaker at the Middlesbrough launch was Paul Saxton, who has been involved in secondary education in the town since 2009 working as an RE teacher and a lead for personal development and PSHE (personal, social, health, economic). Now a coach, Paul is also the author of an ebook, ‘Learning Culture’.
As a CIC, 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.
“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. We can’t wait to officially launch our programmes in the spring.”
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
Photography by HUGO Bea Ltd.
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