Reimagining Redcar: A Service Design Approach to Change

The Reimagining Redcar service design project is bringing together partners, practitioners and local expertise to explore how services are designed and delivered across the area.

Through a series of workshops and collaborative sessions — including the upcoming Service Design workshops, the project is creating space for people to  work collectively on existing or new service concepts driven by the challenges faced by residents.

At the heart of the work is a commitment to service design principles: understanding what makes a “good service”, exploring real user needs, and using structured approaches to assess and redesign services. These sessions are intentionally hands-on, enabling participants to move from identifying challenges to generating practical opportunities for change.

The project is looking to build cross-sector collaboration. Contributors include local system leads and partners such as Geeta Sharma and colleagues from within the Redcar and Cleveland system, alongside wider stakeholders engaged through workshop activity. 

Workshops will bring together voices from education, transport and other service areas, to develop a broad and joined-up perspective.

Alongside workshop delivery, we will deliver ongoing mentoring and collaboration , helping to maintain momentum and focus on specific service challenges. 

A key focus of this work as part the Reimagining Redcar programme is its focus on action. Rather than stopping at insight, the work supports participants to turn learning into commitments and next steps — whether that’s improving existing services or shaping new, innovative approaches.

As the programme continues, the emphasis remains on co-design, shared learning and real impact — good services are not only well-designed, but truly responsive to the needs of the communities they serve.

This work is funded by Lloyds Bank Foundation.