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Monday 9am - 4:30pm Tuesday 9am - 4:30pm Wednesday 9am - 4:30pm Thursday 9am - 4:30pm Friday 9am - 4:30pm Saturday 9am - 4:30pm Sunday 9am - 4:30pm

Crossing Paths CIC

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Crossing Paths CIC

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We connect education, employers, & communities through hands-on programmes & real-world experiences > confidence, purpose, & opportunity.

Our inclusive programmes help to discover confidence, purpose & opportunity, no matter background or starting point.

15/10/2026

“5 BADGERS SETT ENTRIES IN ONE DAY!”

We've had a busy day at Crossing Paths CIC, with another five entries coming in for our Badgers Sett Enterprise Challenge!

It's brilliant to see young people putting their ideas forward, showing initiative and having a go.

The Badgers Sett isn't just about coming up with a business idea. It's about encouraging creativity, problem-solving, teamwork and the confidence to stand up and share your thinking.

We're looking forward to the judges seeing what they've come up with!

A big thank you to the teachers and schools encouraging their young people to get involved.

**There's still time to enter!**

Entries close **Friday 23 October 2026 at 5.00pm**.

14/10/2026

A slightly different location for Crossing Paths this week!

We took our group of young people on a behind-the-scenes visit to the Tyne Tunnels, getting a fascinating look at the history, engineering and day-to-day operations that keep thousands of people moving between North and South Tyneside.

It was a brilliant opportunity to explore a working environment that most of us only ever see from behind the steering wheel, meet the people involved and learn about the different roles and skills needed to keep everything running.

At Crossing Paths, we’re keen to give young people opportunities to experience different workplaces, meet new people and discover careers and possibilities they might not have considered before.

A huge thank you to the team at Tyne Tunnels for welcoming us and taking the time to show us around.
We really appreciate it!

28/09/2026

The Adam Corbally video enterprise challenge closing date is close!

It is open to young people aged 16-29 here in , who have a current business they want to grow or a completely new business idea!

All you have to do is create a 2-minute video pitch, which can be as creative as possible and send it in via WhatsApp before the 26th of October to 07708510592 the winner will be announced in November as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week.

The winner can win up to £500 from The John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank and mentorship from Adam himself.

18/09/2026

We’ve been a bit busy at Crossing Paths lately, and the next thing on the board is something we’ve wanted to make happen for quite some time...£250 test-market grants for care-experienced young people in , working with The John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank.

The idea is simple. If a young person has a business idea, £250 could help them actually test it.

Buy some materials. Make a prototype. Try a service. Book a stall. Get in front of customers. See what happens.

No 40-page business plan. No pretending every idea is going to become the next big thing.

Just a chance to test something properly, learn from it and decide what comes next.

Some ideas will fly. Some will need a rethink. That’s the whole point.

More details on applications coming soon.
https://crossingpaths.org.uk/test-market-grants-young-entrepreneurs/

17/09/2026

What does it actually mean to be enterprising?

This week we spent time with a group of care-experienced young people exploring the difference between being entrepreneurial and being enterprising.

When we asked them to name an entrepreneur, the answers were familiar: Elon Musk and “the guy who owns Virgin”.

So we brought it closer to home.

Entrepreneurs are also the butcher, the baker, the barber and, yes, the candlestick maker.

We then asked the group to draw an enterprising person and talk through the skills they thought that person would need.

Problem-solving, creativity, efficiency, adaptability and simply finding ways to get things done all came through strongly.

The session was a useful reminder that enterprise skills are not just for people who want to start businesses. They matter in work, education, volunteering and everyday life too.

We’ve written a short blog about the session and why helping young people recognise the skills they already have matters.

Read it here: https://crossingpaths.org.uk/enterprise-skills/

Supported by Community Foundation North East

05/09/2026

Today, on International Day of Charity, we’re celebrating the people and organisations working every day to strengthen communities and create opportunities.

Across charities, CICs, voluntary groups and community projects, people give their time, skills and experience to help others move forward.

At Crossing Paths, we’re proud to work alongside organisations that open doors, build confidence and help people recognise what they have to offer.

Thank you to everyone doing their bit, whether that means volunteering, fundraising, sharing expertise or simply showing up when someone needs support.

31/08/2026

A brilliant behind-the-scenes visit to the Tyne Tunnels.

We joined South Tyneside Pledge members to see first-hand how the tunnels are operated, from the control room and safety systems to the teams keeping everything moving.

For Crossing Paths, visits like this are a great reminder of why real-world exposure matters. Seeing workplaces up close, meeting the people behind them and understanding the range of roles involved can make opportunities feel much more real.

Even better, the visit has already opened conversations about bringing our young people along for their own behind-the-scenes experience later this year.

We’ve written a short blog about the visit and why these kinds of experiences matter.

Read it here: https://crossingpaths.org.uk/tyne-tunnels-visit/

30/08/2026

Star of TV's Apprentice calls on South Tyneside’s young entrepreneurs to make a pitch

27/08/2026

This week was about showing young people that there isn’t one route into work, business or the future!

As part of our care leavers workshop, participants heard from five people from different business and career backgrounds, sharing their own experiences of employment, self-employment, career changes, setbacks and opportunities.

We then took the conversation out of the room with a visit to Mr Swainstons sweet shop, a local business that recently appeared on BBC Dragons' Den

It was a great way to connect the workshop themes to a real business and show how different paths, ideas and opportunities can develop in practice.

A big thank you to everyone who gave their time to share their story and support the group.

When paths cross, futures open.

PS Remember to check out our competitions to win prize money to fund YOUR business idea.
https://crossingpaths.org.uk/

18/08/2026

We’re excited that our ambassador and BBC’s The Apprentice finalist, Adam, is bringing the Adam Corbally Challenge 2026 business challenge back to .

The challenge was launched in the borough in 2025 and attracted some creative and innovative entries from local young people. This year, we want to encourage even more aspiring entrepreneurs to get involved, share their ideas and show us what they could achieve with the right support.

The Adam Corbally Challenge 2026 is open to young people aged 16–29 who live in South Tyneside. Entrants may already be running a business they would like to develop, or they might have a completely new idea they have not yet had the opportunity or confidence to pursue.

Address

One Trinity Green, Eldon Street
South Shields
NE331SA

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	9am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	9am - 4:30pm
Thursday	9am - 4:30pm
Friday	9am - 4:30pm
Saturday	9am - 4:30pm
Sunday	9am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+441914813416

Website

https://crossingpaths.org.uk/

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