As part of Living Wage Week 2025 the Responsible Business Seminar Series hosted by Northumbria’s Faculty of Business and Law presented ‘The Case for the Living Wage’ with speakers Hannah Cooper (Research and Campaigns Manager at Citizens Advice Newcastle and co-chair of the Newcastle Living Wage Action Group) and David van der Velde (North East Regional Representative for the Living Wage Foundation).
The movement for the Real Living Wage exemplifies a positive cascade—a powerful, self-reinforcing process of systemic social and economic change. This concept can be understood through the ecological metaphor of the trophic cascade, where the reintroduction of a keystone species sets off a restorative change across an entire ecosystem. In the context of new economic models and governance, the Real Living Wage campaign’s success is not down to a single organisation but is the result of strategically leveraged actions across a multi-layered structure, moving from grassroots organising to institutional standards and ultimately to place-based change.
To understand the depth of this cascade, one must look to its historical origins. The modern movement did not begin in a boardroom or a government office, but in the East End of London in 2001. It was born from a meeting of parents organised by Citizens UK who were struggling to survive on multiple low-paid jobs. This grassroots origin created a moral endogenous factor—a demand for dignity that eventually forced a response from the financial and political centres of the city. Much like the Quaker-led benevolence seen in the early 20th century, the movement sought to realign the relationship between labour and value, but this time from the bottom up rather than the top down.
The movement’s power lies in the strategic differentiation of three key roles, each providing a distinct form of influence. Citizens UK acts as the primary source of community and moral influence. Through its local chapters, it uses grassroots organising to bring together diverse institutions—faith groups, schools, and trade unions—to pressure key anchor institutions and major employers into making the initial commitment to pay the Real Living Wage. These hard-won commitments are the lever that sets the cascade in motion.
As the campaign grew, the Living Wage Foundation was launched to provide crucial institutional and technical influence. The Foundation manages the essential distinction between the statutory National Living Wage and the Real Living Wage. While the former is a government minimum based on median earnings, the latter is a cost-of-living rate independently calculated based on a basket of essential goods and services. By translating a moral demand into a verifiable, technical business standard, the Foundation allows the campaign to scale, offering companies a credible mark of ethical employment.
In Newcastle, my home city, groups like the Newcastle Living Wage Action Group (NLWAG) serve as the local keystone species, providing local influence. The NLWAG takes the national accreditation model and uses local civic, business, and government partnerships to focus the cascade on a specific geographic region. The accreditation of a major local employer, such as Newcastle City Council or Northumbria University itself, is the initial behavioural change that alters the economic environment.
This sets a powerful new public expectation for pay. The NLWAG then leverages the success of these anchor employers to influence their supply chains and smaller businesses, causing the rate of accreditation to accelerate across the local economy. This mechanism transforms the Real Living Wage from a voluntary aspiration into the local de facto minimum. The campaign successfully demonstrates that communities can use collective power and sophisticated governance models to create an independent economic standard that is enforced by social, reputational, and competitive pressures—a powerful model for a new, community-led economic paradigm.
In Newcastle, the transition to becoming a recognised Living Wage City in 2022 was driven by a core group of anchor institutions. As of late 2025, there are over 170 accredited employers in the city, ranging from global corporations to local independents.
Below are some of the key accredited Living Wage employers in Newcastle, categorised by sector:
Public Sector and Education
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Newcastle City Council. A cornerstone of the local movement, the council achieved accreditation in 2022 and chairs the city-wide action group.
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Newcastle University. One of the first major employers in the region to commit, acting as a vital keystone for the local economic ecosystem.
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The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Including major sites like the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) and the Freeman Hospital.
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Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust. Providing mental health and disability services across the region.
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Northumbria University. The host of your recent seminar and a key partner in the Responsible Business Series.
Private Sector and Finance
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Newcastle Building Society. Noted for being the first building society in the UK to also become a Living Pension employer.
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Go North East. A significant regional employer that achieved accreditation in late 2024, impacting 1,800 employees including their cleaning and support staff.
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Sage Group. Headquartered in the North East, this FTSE 100 company is a long-standing supporter of the Living Wage.
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McCrossan Furniture Limited. A local cabinetry and joinery firm, demonstrating that accreditation is accessible for small, skilled businesses.
- NEL Technologies Limited Operating since 1984 from the Westway Industrial Park in Throckley, Newcastle, this firm was originally known as Northumbria Etching Limited. It is a 100% employee-owned business and an accredited Living Wage Employer.
Hospitality and Culture
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The Free Trade Inn. A classic Ouseburn pub that has long championed the independent and ethical business model.
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Generator North East. A creative and music development agency based in the city’s cultural quarter.
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The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. (Located in Gateshead but a major partner in the Newcastle and North East Living Wage regional push).
Third Sector and Social Enterprise
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Citizens Advice Newcastle. Home to Hannah Cooper and a central hub for the local campaign.
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The Comfrey Project. A charity supporting refugees and people seeking asylum in the North East.
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Tyne & Wear Citizens. The community organising power behind the local grassroots movement.
Verification and Resources
The Living Wage Foundation maintains a live, searchable database of every accredited employer. Because new businesses join the movement every month—particularly during Living Wage Week—the total number continues to grow.
For anyone who is interested in Living Wage work in Newcastle or the North East, or to find out more about becoming an accredited employer, please contact Hannah Cooper at hannah.cooper@newcastlecab.org.uk or David van der Velde via the Living Wage Foundation.