03/09/2026
The Shaw Trust Helps Businesses Strengthen their Workforces with the MSK Trailblazer Programme
Across North London, businesses are facing increasing pressure to recruit and retain skilled employees while managing the impact of long-term health conditions on workforce productivity. Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, including back pain, arthritis, joint pain and mobility issues, are among the leading causes of sickness absence and economic inactivity in the UK. For employers, this can lead to recruitment challenges, increased absence rates and additional pressure on existing teams. For individuals, these conditions can create significant barriers to finding, returning to or remaining in work.
NLCCE Member, The Shaw Trust‘s MSK Trailblazer Programme is designed to tackle these challenges head-on. By combining specialist health interventions, physiotherapy, wellbeing support and personalised employment coaching, MSK Trailblazer helps individuals manage their condition, rebuild confidence and successfully return to sustainable employment. This is more than an employment support programme. It is an opportunity for Chamber members to access untapped talent, support local communities and contribute to a stronger North London economy. Through engagement with MSK Trailblazer, your business can:
Access New Talent
Connect with motivated jobseekers who are receiving tailored support and are ready to make a positive contribution to the workplace.
Address Recruitment Challenges
Broaden your talent pipeline by reaching skilled individuals who may have previously faced barriers to employment due to health conditions.
Improve Workplace Wellbeing
Develop a greater understanding of how to support employees with MSK conditions, helping to improve retention, reduce absence and create healthier, more resilient teams.
Deliver Meaningful Social Value
Demonstrate your commitment to inclusion, community impact and responsible business practices while making a tangible difference to local lives.
Support Local Economic Growth
Every successful return to work strengthens our local workforce, reduces economic inactivity and helps North London’s businesses and communities thrive.
Support Section 106 and Social Value Commitments
For developers, contractors, housing providers and organisations delivering public sector contracts, MSK Trailblazer provides a ready-made, evidence-based route to achieving employment and social value outcomes. Rather than creating new initiatives from scratch, businesses can partner with Shaw Trust to support local residents into work while generating measurable outcomes that contribute towards social value objectives and reporting requirements.
A Trusted Delivery Partner
MSK Trailblazer offers businesses:
- A structured and proven route to supporting local employment.
- Measurable social value outcomes and impact reporting.
- Access to a single trusted delivery partner with expertise in health and employment support.
- Opportunities to demonstrate meaningful investment in local communities.
Whether your organisation is looking to recruit, meet social value targets, fulfil Section 106 obligations or supporting the local economy to thrive, Shaw Trust can help you achieve your objectives while changing lives.
Meet the Shaw Trust Team
We are excited to be partnering with the North London Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise and will be attending upcoming Chamber networking events throughout the year. We look forward to meeting members, understanding your business challenges and exploring how we can work together to create employment opportunities, build healthier workplaces and deliver meaningful social value across North London.
Whether you’re looking to recruit new talent, strengthen your social value strategy, deliver Section 106 commitments or support a healthier workforce, we’d love to start the conversation. Connect with the Shaw Trust MSK Trailblazer team at an upcoming Chamber event or contact us directly to find out how your organisation can benefit. Together, we can unlock talent, create opportunities, deliver social value and build a stronger, more prosperous North London economy.
Sarah Aquilina– Haringey – Sarah.Aquilina@shaw-trust.org.uk
Joshua Dearman – Joshua.Dearman@Shaw-Trust.org.uk