Bridge Creative

Supported Employment

Our Supported Employment service provides personalised 1-to-1 support to autistic adults and adults with a learning disability. We can help you navigate the Access to Work scheme and provide any support you need at work.

get support at work

Training

Our Oliver McGowan Training and Inclusive Employment Training, equips professionals with the knowledge and confidence to support disabled people properly, implement reasonable adjustments, and create workplaces everyone can thrive in.

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Events

Group of volunteers in green and yellow vests posing in front of a festival stage.

From expert event staffing to lived experienced-led accessibility and bespoke design & build services, we bring your vision to life with inclusion at its heart.

level up your event

Bridge Academy

Vocational qualifications and supported apprenticeships for young people with Special Educational Needs. Build skills, confidence, and independence with small class sizes, accessible learning and nurturing support.

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Work Experience

Person using a cordless drill while wearing gloves and safety glasses.

Join our Creative Placements project and gain valuable work experience within our social enterprise. You'll work in our Workshop with skilled tradespeople and artists and have the opportunity to work on exciting events and festivals.

gain work experience

Bridgeworks

Our new work experience, skills and community hub in County Durham! Follow along as we bring a community building back to life.

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Billy's Bus

Beep for Billy's Bus! - Bridge Creative's exciting, new partnership with Billy's Bus.

Click below to find out more about the new service in County Durham.

More info

Personal Assistant Service

Are you looking for a Personal Assistant? We provide 1-1 support for neurodivergent adults and adults with a learning disability across County Durham. Your support, your way.

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Projects

Two people gardening and tending plants in a fenced area near train tracks.

Get support through our range of projects and services like Keeping People Connected, School Leavers and Travel with Confidence.

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The COSE

Modern brick building with black garage doors under a partly cloudy sky.

Visit us at our HQ, The COSE - a welcoming community space in the heart of Bishop Auckland, with affordable room hire and office space, and community activities like our weekly Lunch Club and Friendship Fridays.

visit us

London

Our Events Team in London work across the capital, supporting major events like BST Hyde Park and the London Marathon with inclusive staffing and training.

join the team

Good Life Collaborative

We’re proud to be part of the Good Life Collaborative, a partnership of eight voluntary sector organisations working together across the North East and North Cumbria to improve the lives of people with a learning disability.

About Us

Bridge Creative is an award-winning social enterprise dedicated to supporting autistic adults and adults with a learning disability in finding meaningful employment. We focus on creating jobs in the events, arts, and creative industries, whilst also supporting people to build skills and find work across all sectors, aligned with their goals and ambitions.

Our mission is to raise the aspirations of those we work with, empowering people to dream big and live the best life possible. We do this by creating inclusive and accessible opportunities that build confidence, independence, and wellbeing, while helping people form friendships, learn new skills, and gain real work experience that leads to paid employment.

Despite the fact that only 29% of autistic adults, and fewer than 5% of adults with a learning disability are currently in any form of paid employment, many more aspire to work.

We firmly believe that with the right support, people can have equal access to employment and fully realise their potential.

To learn more about how Bridge Creative started, as well as our vision, mission, and values, visit the Our Story page here.

Our Team

Our team of Support Mentors and In-Work Supporters at Bridge Creative are dedicated to empowering people to reach their potential!

More than half of our team are neurodivergent or have a learning disability, which has enabled us to achieve fantastic outcomes for the people we support.

Founding Director Ben has over 13 years of experience working with autistic adults and adults with a learning disability, and he used to run his own music festival!

We aim to ensure that at least 75% of our Board of Directors has lived experience of the challenges that Bridge Creative aims to address, from navigating life with a learning disability to facing long-term youth unemployment.

Meet the rest of our team here.

Our Impact

We’re proud to support over 350 adults across the North East and London, helping people build confidence, develop skills, and move closer to employment, with many now thriving in real paid jobs.

In the past year, we delivered over 12,000 hours of supported employment, working with more than 50 employers across sectors including hospitality, retail, events, manufacturing and healthcare.

People we’ve supported are now working as lifeguards, trainers, event staff, and self-employed business owners, showing the real impact of inclusive opportunities.

We've created inclusive workplaces at over 40 events in the past year, launched our Bridge Academy to open new training and apprenticeship routes, and expanded to two branches in North East and London.

Our work has been recognised nationally with multiple awards including Winner of the Inclusion and Diversity Award at the Access All Areas Awards 2024, one of only 3 shortlisted Finalists for Best Small Supported Employment Team at the BASE Awards 2024, and Winner of the One to Watch Award at the 2025 Festival Supplier Awards.

Our greatest success is the change we create, from someone being signed off from mental health services after 25 years because of the difference our support has made, to communities seeing our teams in action and realising what’s possible when everyone is included.