Making Work Work

Applications are open!

Between now and the end of March 2027, Ready to RISE (Readiness & Incubation for Social Enterprise) will work with three cohorts of women and non-binary people in Scotland to increase their knowledge, confidence and networks, identify their existing skills and ideal work/life blend, generate business ideas with a social or environmental impact, and access practical and financial support to turn those ideas into businesses.

To deliver this programme, Making Work Work and The Challenges Group are combining our expertise in addressing women’s meaningful participation in the labour market, with our partner, Firstport's knowledge and experience of supporting social entrepreneurs.

Spaces are limited; find out more and apply at makingworkwork.scot/rise

Today marks UK Flexible Working Day and this year's theme, "Fair Flex", highlights a simple but powerful principle: flexibility should be fair, accessible and available to everyone who can benefit from it.

At Making Work Work, we know that flexible working is about much more than convenience. It's a key driver of inclusion, helping people stay in and progress within employment while balancing the realities of everyday life.

Flexible working can be transformative for:
• Parents and carers balancing work with caring responsibilities
• Disabled people and those managing long-term health conditions
• Older workers extending their careers
• Students and people pursuing training or education
• Anyone whose circumstances mean traditional working patterns create unnecessary barriers

But fair flex isn't just about having access to flexibility. It's about having access to the right flexibility. Different people need different solutions, whether that's part-time hours, remote working, compressed hours, flexitime, job sharing or a combination of approaches.

When flexibility is designed around real lives and individual needs, everyone benefits. Employers gain access to wider talent pools, improve retention and create more inclusive workplaces. Employees gain greater opportunities to thrive, contribute and progress.

As workplaces continue to evolve, we must move beyond treating flexible working as an exception or accommodation. Fair flex means ensuring that flexibility is embedded in how jobs are designed and delivered, so that more people can participate fully in work.

Our partnership with Flexible Working Scotland reflects a shared commitment to making flexible work more accessible and achievable. By supporting both organisations and individuals to navigate flexible working options, we're helping remove barriers to employment and widen participation in the workforce.

Flexible working isn't a perk. For many people, it's what makes work possible.

A fond farewell…

Yesterday, our senior programme manager, and co-creator of Making Work Work, Lynn Houmdi, left the The Challenges Group on 18th June after more than 5 years, to focus solely on building and scaling her community Flexible Working Scotland .

Lynn says: “After five years building and delivering Making Work Work, I am leaving The Challenges Group. I want to take this opportunity to say thank you. Every single one of you is the reason these programmes exist and the reason they work. Watching you move towards and into work that works for you and your families has been the privilege of my career.”

We are sorry to see her go, and the whole team owes her a debt of gratitude for her support, guidance and inspiration. We wish her every success, and we will be making sure we find lots of excuses to collaborate, so it’s definitely not goodbye!

Last chance to register!

Just two days until our online panel event and information session this Wednesday. Come along and learn what social enterprise is all about, hear inspiring stories from three amazing women who have turned their ideas into sustainable livelihoods, while making a difference to their communities.

You will also learn how the Readiness & Incubation for Social Enterprise (RISE) programme can support you in taking your first steps into social entrepreneurship.

The programme, delivered by The Challenges Group and Firstport, supports women and non-binary people across Scotland to explore social entrepreneurship as a way to build a sustainable income while creating positive change for people and the planet and designing a (work)life blend that works for them.

Sign up today at www.makingworkwork.scot/rise

Childcare is economic infrastructure, and choice is the part we can't lose sight of.

The Scottish Parliament has committed to year-round subsidised childcare for every child from nine months to the end of primary school. The Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Act 2026 passed into law on 15 May 2026, when it received Royal Assent. It's a significant step, and for many families, potentially transformative.

MSPs also agreed on two fixes that should help sooner: funded hours from the week after a child's third birthday, rather than waiting for the next school term, and an end to the cross-boundary rules that prevent families from using nurseries across council borders.

But the conversations we're hearing tell a more complicated story. Some parents want affordable, high-quality childcare early on, because it's what makes work possible. Others want more time at home, shorter hours, or simply not to face an impossible sum at the end of maternity leave: return to work and watch most of my salary disappear, or step back from a career I've built?

Both are valid. The goal was never to move every parent into full-time work as fast as possible; it's to give families real choice about how they raise their children and build their working lives around it.

So, a vote, while welcome, isn't the finish line. It must come with investment in the early years' workforce, because fair pay, recognition and retention cultivate quality. It needs practical support for parents to return when and how they choose. And it needs flexible working across all levels, salaries, and roles, not just senior roles.

That's exactly where our programme comes in. We work alongside women to turn these choices into real change, rebuilding confidence, navigating the labour market, and finding work that fits around their priorities, not the other way round. Choice only counts when there's practical support to act on it.

If you're navigating any of this, you're not alone. Your experience matters in shaping what comes next. Pregnant Then Screwed Scotland is leading the campaign to make this reform a reality, and they want to hear from families. Add your voice to their summer childcare survey here: https://bit.ly/4u6OeVxhttps://bit.ly/4u6OeVx

Carers Week (8–14 June) shines a spotlight on unpaid carers, urging decision-makers, employers, and communities to better support those who care for others without pay.

This year's theme asks a simple but powerful question: what makes a community carer-friendly? It's about places, spaces, services and groups where unpaid carers are recognised, understood, and valued, and where they get the support and opportunities they need.

Millions in the UK provide unpaid care for children, family, or friends. In Scotland, about 270,000 people combine work and unpaid care, roughly 1 in every 7 or 8 workers.

On Making Work Work, 15% of our participants care for a child or children with additional support needs or a disability, 10% care for an adult, and 2% care for both a child and an adult. It's no coincidence that so many skilled women struggle to find work that works for them while managing so many other commitments.

Work is one of the six areas where carer-friendly communities can make a real difference, and it's where we focus. This is exactly why we place such a strong emphasis on (work)life blend and on flexible, inclusive employment. So many people are juggling vital unpaid care roles alongside their professional lives, and it's clear the current system isn't working for them.

A carer-friendly workplace isn't a nice-to-have. It's what allows skilled, committed people to stay in work without giving up the care roles only they can fill. Sometimes it's structural: flexible hours, understanding managers, room to manage the unpredictable.

Visit www.carersweek.org to find out how you can help build carer-friendly communities, at work and beyond, and add your voice to the call for greater equality for unpaid carers.

The countdown is on! Just over a week to go until our online panel event and information session on Wednesday, 17 June. Join us to discover what social enterprise is all about, hear inspiring stories from women who have turned their ideas into sustainable livelihoods, and learn how the The Readiness & Incubation for Social Enterprise (RISE) programme can support you in taking your first steps into social entrepreneurship.

The programme, delivered by The Challenges Group and , supports women and non-binary people across Scotland to explore social entrepreneurship as a way to build a sustainable income while creating positive change for people and the planet and designing a (work)life blend that works for them.

Sign up today at www.makingworkwork.scot/rise

Last week, our Programme Founder and Senior Learning & Leadership Manager, Lynn Houmdi, joined partners, employers and sector practitioners at Equate Scotland's 20th anniversary event, Building Inclusive STEM Workplaces in Scotland, at Edinburgh Napier University.

Equate Scotland is a valued partner, and it was brilliant to be part of this milestone celebration and to hear the findings from their latest research: Gender Inclusion Practices in Scottish STEM Organisations (GIPSO).

The research makes for important reading. Progress is being made, but significant challenges remain, from gaps in monitoring EDI progress to the specific barriers faced by small businesses, and ongoing issues around reporting discrimination and supporting gendered health needs at work.

This is exactly the territory we work in every day. And events like this remind us why the long game matters, and why doing it together makes all the difference.

Here's to the next 20 years of building workplaces where everyone belongs.

This week, we’re celebrating Volunteers’ Week across the UK, recognising the people who give their time, skills and energy to strengthen communities every day. From mentoring and community projects to local events and support services, volunteers make a real difference where it matters most.

Around 6% of Making Work Work alumni leave our programmes and go on to pursue volunteering as a valuable way of refreshing their skills, building confidence and gaining experience, while supporting many essential and worthwhile causes.

This week is about recognising that impact and thanking everyone who shows up, contributes and helps move things forward, but it’s also a chance to reflect on the opportunities and experience people can gain through voluntary work.

Volunteering doesn’t just change communities: it changes the people who step forward, building confidence, broadening perspectives and creating connections that last far beyond the experience itself.

Still time to register! The Readiness & Incubation for Social Enterprise (RISE) programme, delivered by The Challenges Group and Firstport, supports women and non-binary people across Scotland to explore social entrepreneurship as a way to build a sustainable income while creating positive change for people and the planet and designing a (work)life blend that works for them.

Registration is now open for our online panel event and information session on Wednesday, 17 June. Join us to discover what social enterprise is all about, hear inspiring stories from women who have turned their ideas into sustainable livelihoods, and learn how the programme can support you in taking your first steps into social entrepreneurship.

Sign up today at www.makingworkwork.scot/rise