Greene King, the UK's leading managed pub company and brewer, was founded in 1799 and is headquartered in Bury St. Edmunds has a pub company . It operates c.2,750 pubs, restaurants and hotels across England, Wales and Scotland, of which c.1,700 are retail pubs, restaurants and hotels, and c.1,050 are tenanted, leased and franchised pubs.

In January, Greene King launched The Stepping Up Report, which outlines its commitment towards creating opportunities for individuals from all backgrounds into the hospitality sector. The 2018 Social Mobility Barometer, a survey of 5,000 people carried out by The Social Mobility Commission, showed that 40% of respondents think it is getting harder for people from less advantaged backgrounds to move up in British society, almost twice as many as those who think it is becoming easier.

One of its five ambitions, calling for greater social mobility, is to enhance employability for the ex-offender communities. Greene King's Releasing Potential programme was launched earlier this year. Working with the Ministry of Justice and charities such as Only a Pavement Away, Novus, Sodexo and Clean Sheet, it has developed a new employment programme for ex-offenders and have pledged to help 50 people in the first year, initially working with prisons in the North West and London.

It is a way for us to bring new talent into the business. It's really important for us that our team reflect the diversity of the community where we operate. And we really think that this programme is a great way to improve the diversity within our business and bring some fresh talent into Greene King.

-Greg Sage, Communications Director

There is a current nationwide shortage of skilled staff in the hospitality industry. Greene King believes it is able to meet this shortage by bringing in the untapped talent of those who have gone through the criminal justice system, providing them with a second chance to rebuild their lives and go on to thrive in a working environment.

We're willing to hire ex-offenders because they get a lot of experience on the inside anyway, so they come with a lot of job skills. A lot of the time they are more loyal to you. They want it that little bit extra because at some point they have felt that maybe they haven't got that second chance to make something of themselves.

-Sam Calver, Assistant Manager, Dog & Partridge

Greene King has recently been recognised for their work with young people and ex-offenders at the Better Society Awards, a highly commended winner in the National Commitment to Skills and Training category.

Now when I go to work I am motivated every day. I'm happy doing it, so I think positively. I use that motivation to be good as part of a team, be reliable and do good things for other people as well.

-Tyler, Chef

Like Greene King, over 300 businesses have registered with New Futures Network, pledging to provide employment opportunities for serving prisoners and ex-offenders. Please see details in our previous blog if you'd like to find out more about the NFN and how to register your interest.