Chris Sherwood

Chris Sherwood designs and delivers projects that test new models for supporting and scaling social innovation. He leads the Lab’s Age Unlimited programme.

Chris designs and delivers projects that test new models for supporting and scaling social innovation. He has a decade of experience in the employment and welfare-to-work market.

Chris leads the Lab’s Age Unlimited programme, which targets people in their fifties and up, experimenting with ways to extend employment opportunities; create more flexible work in accordance with the needs and aspirations of older workers; and find better ways to facilitate transition to other roles and interests.

An ageing society has the potential to exact local costs in the UK on a scale comparable to climate change - new thinking, ideas and practices are needed to turn this challenge into a societal opportunity.

Chris joined NESTA in February 2009. Previously, he spent four years with Scope where he designed and delivered a range of projects to support public and private organisations to more effectively employ disabled people in leadership and other positions.

While at the social enterprise DisabledGo, Chris developed a unique award-winning partnership with Marks and Spencer - the Marks and Start Disability Programme - opening up employment opportunities for disabled people who face complex barriers to securing paid work.

Chris started his career with the supported employment provider, pluss. He is a trustee of the Alliance for Inclusive Education.