3 Pillars Project

South East

Sector: Sport and Fitness

3Pillars Project is a UK-based charity using sports, particularly rugby, to mentor and rehabilitate young men in the criminal justice system, focusing on exercise, education, and ethos.

It aims to support individuals in custody and post-release by providing opportunities to rebuild their lives, reduce reoffending, and integrate into society through structured mentoring programs.

A Band of Brothers

Nationwide

Sector: Personal Development

An award-winning UK charity providing mentoring for young men facing adversity — supporting them through rites of passage into a responsible, fulfilling adulthood.

A Change for Good

London

Sector: Charity and Social Enterprise

CFG is volunteer mentoring charity that supports prisoners (their “members”) before and after release as they resettle in London. CFG is a faith-based charity that works with people of all faiths and none. They are an active member of the Community Chaplaincy Association (CCA), a wider network of organisations that share a similar ethos and aims.

A Fairer Chance

London

Sector: Recruitment

A Fairer Chance helps to break the cycle of reoffending through employment. Skills matching people with convictions and supporting them into sustainable work by using their extensive knowledge of the Criminal Justice System and the Labour Market. Enabling employers to fill the skills and labour gaps in their industries by guiding them through the Criminal Justice System, and supporting them to recruit confidently.

Anawim

Midlands

Sector: Charity

Offer: Personal Support (Addiction, Mental Health, Housing and Debt Advice)

Anwim offers responsive wraparound support to enable women to reach their potential. It works with more than 2000 women a year through advocacy, counselling, crisis intervention, and intensive long-term specialist support both in the community in Birmingham and in prison.

Aspire Oxford

Oxford

Sector: Recruitment

Founded in 2001. Aspire Oxfordshire is an employment charity and social enterprise, supporting vulnerable and marginalised people to address their unique housing and employment needs.

They provide specialist long-term and person-centred support, guiding their beneficiaries to build upon their skills and self-confidence.

Beating Time

London, West Midlands, Kent

Sector: Charity

Offer: Creative Enrichment

Established by Heather Phillips in 2014, it is an award-winning charity that uses group singing to improve mental health in prisons through weekly singing groups. For over a decade, Choirs Beating Time has fostered social inclusion and hope for people in prison.

In 2021, the charity expanded its impact by launching Inside Job, a peer-led employment programme that supports people during their sentences and after release, helping them into paid work and training. Today, both Choirs Beating Time and Inside Job operate continuously across 11 prisons in London, Kent, the Midlands, and the Northeast, in partnership with The Recruitment Junction.


Their programmes help people reconnect with who they are – as artists, workers, parents, and valued members of the community. Choirs restore a sense of belonging and positivity, while Inside Job opens up employment opportunities for individuals who may have previously dismissed them.

Belong

London

Sector: Charity

Founded in 2010, Belong's vision is to ensure hope, rehabilitation and recovery for victims and perpetrators of harm. Their mission is to inspire change by providing long-term, individualised responses to conflict and crime. They work with children, young people and adults in custodial and community settings.

Working nationally across the United Kingdom, mainly within London and the South East of England, Belong uses their frontline knowledge to influence the criminal justice landscape, playing a significant part in developing a more effective, more humane criminal justice system.

Their main services include, mentoring, creative Psychotherapy and Restorative Justice. Their services are delivered through-the-gate, and focus on preparing individuals from release from the criminal justice system and to live crime-free lives.

Beyond Food Foundation

London

Sector: Hospitality

Beyond Food Foundation is a charity that provides food & nutrition training and support to people who have been impacted by homelessness, mental health, addiction, those with a criminal record or those who are at risk of homelessness.

The foundation provides a support programme that creates a pathway for individuals leading to a career, mostly in the catering and hospitality sector.

Beyond the Gate Publishing

North West

Sector: Charity and Social Enterprise

Offer: Personal Support (Addiction, Mental Health, Housing and Debt Advice), Education

Beyond the Gate is a not for profit company providing a magazine distributed to those in and leaving custody; a directory of places and organisations that exist to help those within the justice system. Backed-up by real-life stories from people who have turned their lives around, the publication seeks to prove that there is life Beyond the Gate. All printing is done within the HMPrisons helping to train prisoners and keeping printing costs with in the prison services.

Bounce Back

London

Sector: Construction

The Bounce Back Project is a UK-based charity and social enterprise dedicated to training and employing ex-offenders. By offering "Through the Gate" support, it helps individuals transition from prison into sustainable employment, working closely with construction partners and running a dedicated painting and decorating enterprise to reduce reoffending.

Business in the Community

London

Sector: Public sector

Business in the Community is the UK's largest and longest-established responsible business network, championing sustainability, inclusion, and growth that benefits both business and society. It brings companies together to lead responsibly, collaborate for systemic change, and take action locally and nationally to build a fairer, greener, and more resilient future.

Catch 22

Nationwide

Sector: Charity

Offer: Education

Catch22 designs and delivers services that build resilience and aspiration in people of all ages and within communities across the UK.

Change Grow Live

Nationwide

Sector: Charity

Offer: Personal Support (Addiction, Mental Health, Housing and Debt Advice)

Change Grow Live is a health and social care charity. It provides free and confidential treatment, support and information about drug and alcohol use, smoking, homelessness, justice and probation, and employment.

Changing Tunes

Nationwide

Sector: Charity and Social Enterprise

Offer: Creative Enrichment

Changing Tunes uses the power of music to help people lead crime-free lives that are meaningful and creative

They facilitate music-making programmes in Alternative Provision Schools, Secure Children's Homes, Young Offender Institutions, Prisons and Post-Release. They also run a record label that supports the career development of talented music artists who have been in prison, or who are are the edges of the system.

They help participants to develop 'human and social capital' outcomes that support desistance from crime, like improved self-esteem, resilience, mental health and belonging.

Their participant re-offending rate over the past 3 years is 5%, compared to the national rate at 48%

Clean Sheet

Nationwide

Sector: Charity

Clean Sheet is a charity with one simple purpose – to offer people with convictions the hope of a better future by finding sustainable employment. Their work is about helping people with convictions to find jobs, start to rebuild their lives and as a result, reduce reoffending.

They provide a remote employment support service, supporting men and women for up to three years to find work.

Coracle Inside

Cambridge

Sector: Education

Coracle is an e-learning business on a mission to ensure no-one is isolated from learning opportunities. The company started providing digital systems that enable those working at sea to study and gain qualifications without internet access.

But Coracle founder, James Tweed, was interested in the role of education in reducing crime, reoffending and inequality. Prisoners have no internet access and limited education opportunities – meaning most are released with few skills and no CV. So, the team adapted the system and created Coracle Inside, an offline virtual learning environment, allowing inmates to use laptops and safely access content offline from organisations such as The Open University and Prison Education Trust.

Coracle has been awarded the prestigious King's Award for Promoting Opportunity through Social Mobility.

Elite Project Services

London

Sector: Education, Training and Employment Services

Elite Project Services is deeply committed to making a positive impact through its “On the Right Track" (OTRT) program, an initiative that runs accredited rail awareness courses in several HM Prisons across the South-East of England. This program is designed to equip individuals with essential skills and qualifications that can pave the way for careers in the rail and construction sectors upon their release.

Entrepreneurs  Unlocked CIC

North West

Sector: Education, Training and Employment Services

Entrepreneurs Unlocked CIC is a Social Enterprise that creates pathways for individuals on society's margins to thrive through entrepreneurship.

They work primarily with those in custody, on probation, and recently released from prison, offering them the tools, support, and resources to develop their talents, build their own businesses, and contribute positively to their communities. Their commitment to social justice and reducing reoffending drives them to make self-employment a viable, first-choice option for those who need it most.

Ex-Seed Recruitment

Northampton

Sector: Recruitment

Ex-seed is an employment agency and recruitment network which places ex-offenders into stable employment and supports them to enjoy crime-free and fulfilling lives.

Ex-seed are the only nationally operating commercial organisation in this sector. We receive no grant funding and this private sector insight helps us to engage professionally with employers on an equal setting of mutual respect. We are also part of a national network of professional recruiters The Employment Agents Movement (TEAM).

Ex-seed receives upwards of 100 applicants each month, most are pre-vetted by probation officers or other referrers as being highly motivated to work, others have applied directly through www.ex-seed.co.uk or our published handbook "How to get a GREAT JOB when you have a CRIMINAL RECORD".

We advocate for each person individually, particularly investing time in the CV and disclosure process.

The success of our applicants proves that when people are given a second chance, they almost always prove worthy of it.

Contact: phil@ex-seed.co.uk

Freedom Bakery

Glasgow

Sector: Bakery

Freedom Bakery is a social enterprise artisan bakery based at HMP Low Moss near Glasgow, which trains and develops the skills of a small team of people in custody who learn on the job.

Contact: Matt Fountain

HMPasties

North West

Sector: Bakery

Offer: Training

HMPasties was born from a desire to break the cycle of re-offending by offering real work opportunities to ex-offenders.

Its founder, who has worked closely with individuals leaving prison, recognised that meaningful employment is key to successful rehabilitation. With this vision, they set up shop and began baking high-quality products while providing support and skills development to those who needed it most.

Today, they supply pies, pasties, and sausage rolls across the North West of England. Their team is made up of passionate people, many of whom have overcome difficult pasts to build positive futures. They're proud to be proof that businesses can do good while delivering great products.

In2Out

Midlands

Sector: Charity

Offer: Mentoring and Coaching, Personal Support

In2Out is a registered charity that aims to reduce reoffending among young people aged 15-21 through our mentoring and resettlement process. They believe that each young person leaving prison deserves the opportunity to get their life 'back on track' and turn away from offending behaviour.

Working out of HMYOI Wetherby in West Yorkshire most of the young people they work with come from all over the North and Midlands of England. They have helped them to resettle into society after release and move toward independent living. They have brought reconciliation into families, order into chaotic lives and a sense of hope for the future. And they have made this happen by showing them individually that someone cares.

In2Out does not try to replace the role or function of other statutory service providers or other charitable endeavours, put provides post-release support in collaboration with others - primarily with youth offending teams and probation services, along with statutory services and local authorities. They also collaborate with several other charities to ensure that they avoid duplication of work and wasted costs, and share best practice through the sector.

Inside Connections

North West England

Sector: Education, Training and Employment Services

We provide the holistic digital platform for a chance at a sustainable life through education, training, employment, housing and on-going bespoke support. Our mission is to empower individuals from a prison, military, homeless or care background. Please contact Founder John Burton via email: john@insideconnections-cic.co.uk

I AM IN ME CIC

London

Sector: Education, Training and Employment Services

I AM IN ME Community Interest Company, incorporated in March 2017 delivers tailored support to disadvantaged, 'predominantly' 14 - 25-year-olds to include ex-offenders and those at risk of offending. We do this through 3 paths of engagement:

1. Personal Development

2. Employability (Highfield Accredited Level 2)

3. Business Start Up (Enterprise).

Our focus is strongly based on developing positive characters to equip beneficiaries with the tools to build resilience, self-control, self-discipline, self-regulation and emotional intelligence for positive lasting impact. Consequently, overcoming barriers of Social, Educational and Economic deprivation and not just for them but their children and their children's children.

Key4Life

London and Bristol

Sector: Charity

Key4Life is an innovative crime prevention charity which rehabilitates young men in prison or at risk of going to prison, and provides real solutions to help reduce youth offending.

The charity's rehabilitation programmes help the young men to build resilience and release negative behaviours through a powerful blend of music, football, equine therapy, NLP (Neuro-linguistic programming) and emotional release sessions.

The charity partners with a number of high profile companies and organisations, representative of a variety of industries, including construction, media, music, finance, hospitality and IT.

The work of Key4Life is also supported by its partnerships with local government, prison and probation services, community organisations and funders.

Leicestershire Cares

Leicester

Sector: Charity

Leicestershire Cares brings businesses and communities together, for the benefit of all, through employee volunteering.

We provide volunteering opportunities for companies looking to get involved with communities in Leicestershire & Rutland.

Our wide ranging projects include supporting the rehabilitation of offenders.

Luminary Bakery

London

Sector: Bakery

Luminary Bakery is an award winning social enterprise empowering London's most disadvantaged women to thrive.

It uses baking as a tool to guide women towards employability and independence. Over our two-year programme, women learn to bake, gain a catering qualification and develop transferable skills such as budgeting, interview techniques and resilience. Women gain valuable work experience through Luminary Bakery as well as being paired with a volunteer mentor who helps her develop her career next steps.

However, their programme goes far beyond job skills. They offer access to highly-trained counsellors, providing up to 16 weeks of therapy, and each woman is supported by a dedicated Progression Support Worker to help her navigate the broader challenges she will face including housing and debt.

Nacro

London

Sector: Education, Training and Employment Services

Offer: Personal Support (Addiction, Mental Health, Housing and Debt Advice)

For 60 years, Nacro has been helping people build brighter futures. They've helped hundreds of thousands of people to overcome barriers, rebuild their lives, and take the next step forward.

They provide practical help and personalised support through their education, housing, justice and health and wellbeing services. They work closely with people to help them build independence and to move forward to a better future. They use the insights from our services and the experience of the people they support to campaign together for meaningful changes in society.

Novus

Manchester

Sector: Education, Training and Employment Services

Offer: Education

For over two decades, Novus has been delivering education, training and employment opportunities to adults and young people in UK prisons. They aim to improve lives and economic success, as well as reduce reoffending rates, through learning and skills-training. They provide interventions that reduce reoffending and divert people from criminal behaviour, allowing them to make a positive contribution to society.

Offploy

North West

Sector: Recruitment

Offer: Support for Employers

Offploy strives to improve employment outcomes for people with convictions.



They offer practical tools, training and support for employers.

Only Connect

London

Sector: Charity

Offer: Creative Enrichment

Only Connect is London's creative criminal justice charity, rooted in community. Its vision is a more connected, human and just society, where we all choose a crime free life.

The focus of their work is innovation to reduce re-offending. They work with Londoners aged 16+ with recent experience of the justice system, equipping them with the necessary skills, attributes and positive networks to develop and pursue their life goals without harm.

They work in prisons, across youth justice and through their unique Membership centres to deliver projects that build relationships, grow skills and cut crime. Their Membership model offers one single, seamless relationship from custody to community and into future prospects.

Opportunity for Change

London

Sector: Construction

Opportunity for Change is a community interest company (CIC) with a focus on providing a second chance for drug-free ex-offenders who want to turn their life around. With links in the construction industry, our mission is to provide a bridge into training and employment for those who are nearing the end of their sentence. Not only does this enable ex-offenders to gain independence and a brand new start, but it enables them to build confidence and credibility as skilled labourers. Please contact Ian Banks: ian.banks@opportunityforchange.co.uk

P3

Nottingham

Sector: Charity and Social Enterprise

P3 is a charity and social enterprise which aims to improve lives and communities by delivering services for socially excluded and vulnerable people to unlock their potential and open up new possibilities. P3 is also a member of Purple Futures, a partnership which manages five Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) in the UK.

Pecan

London

Sector: Charity

Pecan is a charity based in Peckham that tackles poverty in Southwark by restoring dignity, belonging and belief through their connected community services that address food insecurity, unemployment and isolation.

Pink Umbrella Studios

London

Sector: Charity and Social Enterprise

We create websites for the 3rd sector and ex-offenders for a very low rate. A percentage of these websites will be created by actual offenders inside learning to code. This helps the offenders to build their professional portfolios and gives them a very high chance of employment upon release. We at Pink Umbrella Studios also aim to employ the ex-offenders upon release.

Prison Opticians Trust

South East

Sector: Optics

Offer: Training

The Prison Opticians Trust was co-founded by Tanjit Dosanjh OBE and Dr Amandeep Sappal, who studied Optometry together at City University, London.

Since 2016, The Trust has been dedicated to providing training in optics to prisoners, helping them gain valuable skills and secure employment within the optics industry upon their release.

Initially, they trained both female and male prisoners on day release in Maidstone, Kent. However, in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, they transitioned their training programs behind prison walls in 2022. This enabled them to train male offenders in both a Category B and Category C prison.

Their course lasts approximately 10 weeks and prepares trainees for work as an Optical Assistant. At the end of the programme, trainees receive an accredited Level 2 Qualification in Supporting Optical Retail. During the 10 weeks of training they observe trainees to determine whether they would make good employees. They only recommend those trainees who they are confident will be an asset to an employer.

Prisoners' Education Trust

London

Sector: Education

Prisoners' Education Trust works across England and Wales to support people in prison to study distance learning courses. They provide advice and support in every prison in England and Wales and around 2,500 prisoners every year receive funding from PET to help them study courses in subjects and at levels not otherwise available.

Contact: Rod Clark

Project REMAKE

London

Sector: Education, Training and Employment Services

Project REMAKE is a entrepreneurship course for ex-offenders. It's run in collaboration with King's College London, and aims over a 12 week course helps participants to develop and launch a start-up. It is inspired by Project REMADE out of Stanford University, USA.

Project Turn Over UK

London

Sector: Sport and Fitness

At Project Turn-Over, we engage with young offenders from Feltham YOI and young people from the local community to divert them away from offending (or re-offending) and re-engagement with school through our programme and tailored individual support. We support these high risk young people back on the right path via our structured sport-centric and well-being programme. Through our challenging physical and cognitive programme and with a personal approach from the heart, we focus on teamwork, discipline, mutual trust and mentoring to support participants towards a positive path which fits their true potential and capabilities. We run our intensive programme 4 times a year and engage with each cohort for 12 weeks from our Staines Rugby Club site and our CALMS programme from Hanworth Youth Centre 2 days a week.

Prosper 4 Group

London

Sector: Recruitment

Founded in 2014 by ex-offenders to assist other ex-offenders, Prosper 4 Group aims to improve the employment opportunities for people with convictions. They look to assist businesses with their staffing requirements by helping them access a pool of appropriately trained and well-motivated ex-offenders. They also offer self-employment support, running training programmes and providing business launch support for clients both in custody and post-release. Finally, they work both with prisons to identify the most productive ways to utilise their industrial capacity as well as with businesses to help them utilise prison industries to increase their production capacity, with the ultimate aim of improving the skills of ex-offenders and providing them with meaningful employment in custody.

Contact: Michael Corrigan, CEO

Raw Workshop

Midlands

Sector: Charity and Social Enterprise

Offer: Training

RAW Workshop are Europe's largest social enterprise designing, manufacturing and sourcing high quality indoor and outdoor commercial furniture. They also operate RAW Harvesting, providing class leading, sustainable, circular economy services maximising furniture re-use.

They believe that business should be a force for good and they employ a remarkable workforce, many of whom have walked life's toughest paths. They also operate their own youth work charity, RAW Potential, supporting over 150 young people a year towards better futures.

Recycling Lives

Preston

Sector: Recycling and Waste Management

Recycling Lives is a social business, using profits from its commercial recycling and waste management operations to sustain and support a social welfare charity. This offers offender rehabilitation through training, employment and accommodation, significantly reducing reoffending by offering job opportunities in its recycling business or with partner organisations in other sectors.

RIFT Social Enterprise

Kent

Sector: Social Enterprise

With the Covid-19 pandemic likely to significantly impact upon prisoners' chances of securing PAYE work on release, we believe that self-employment is a crucial area for Prison Governors to focus on. A recent survey amongst residents at HMP Thameside found that 20% of its residents had been self-employed prior to coming into prison (including those working in the construction industry) and 60% were interested in pursuing self-employment on release.

Our new remote self-employment service consists of:

An initial 45 minute phone call with a RIFT Business Start-Up Specialist who will discuss the resident's self-employment plans in detail and who will provide expert advice and guidance on what steps they should start thinking about in preparation for commencing their business on release

An in-cell workbook for the resident to complete focusing on topics such as: business insurance, funding, competitor research, pricing, and marketing. Once this workbook is completed and posted to us, we provide constructive and comprehensive feedback on what they have written and encourage ongoing communication until release. They will also receive an IOEE certificate for having completed the workbook. We will send them advice, tips and extracts from relevant publications in order to encourage them to continue focusing on their self-employment plans

Upon release they will receive unlimited support from a RIFT Business Start-Up Specialist/Accountant during their first year of trading and we will provide regular feedback to the prison regarding what progress they are making

The support on release includes: 12 months free business banking, a free mobile phone and sim card when they register their business with HMRC, access to a specialist insurance broker, free business cards, support with website development and free advertising of their business on our website

We will complete their first Self-Assessment tax return for them free of charge, teaching them how to do it for themselves the following year.

Contact: Andy Gullick, contact@riftse.co.uk

RISE Mutual

London

Sector: Education, Training and Employment Services

RISE Mutual is a Community Interest Company (CIC) owned by its employees. It provides criminal justice and rehabilitation programmes, to transform the lives of individuals, families and communities. Employees largely comes from the former Interventions Department of London Probation, so they possess a wealth of experience working with offenders.

RMF Construction 

Birmingham

Sector: Construction

RMF Construction Training Academy provides training and employment opportunities to socially underrepresented candidates including, but not limited to: ex-offenders, ex-military, long-term unemployed & the homeless.

RMF have provided training within 16 HM Prisons and have achieved employment outcomes for over 250 ex-offender candidates whilst on ROTL and upon release.

RMF Fresh Start Website is a hub for on-going socially inclusive training & employment opportunities from our network of client partners which includes the new LMJV Employment hub partnership between RMF & LMJV in preparation for HS2.

Please contact Dara McCarthy: Dara@rmfconstruction.co.uk.

Skillcert

National

Sector: Recycling and Waste Management

Skillcert have operated on the frontline of prison education and resettlement since 2015. Skillcert has delivered the Level 2 Diploma in Sustainable Recycling Activities (WAMITAB) to learners that work in recycling workshops across 7 English prisons. Skillcert has delivered this provision as a sub-contractor to Milton Keynes College since April 2017 and more recently People Plus and Novus. The programme supports learners working in recycling workshops across our prison network. Learners are provided with the required skills, knowledge and occupational competence to support their successful progression into work with our employer partners on release.

Main Contact: gabby.liden@skillcert.co.uk

Spark Inside

London

Sector: Rehabilitation

Spark Inside is pioneering the use of professional coaching in prisons to promote rehabilitation, tackle violence and reduce re-offending.

Contact: Baillie Aaron

St Giles Trust

London

Sector: Rehabilitation

St Giles Trust aims to help break the cycle of prison, crime and disadvantage and create safer communities by supporting people to change their lives. Through it's peer advice programme of mentoring it helps to prepare ex-offenders for employment as well as managing other aspects of their life post prison.

StandOut

London

Sector: Charity

The StandOut Programme starts with a four-week intensive training course inside prison and equips people with the tools, skills and mindsets needed for the workplace and offers unique opportunities to engage with employers before release. StandOut coaches then provide individualised 1-1 support through-the-gate and after release for as long as needed, collaborating with our network of employer and support organisations. Set up in response to covid-19, the StandOut Helpline offers intensive 1-1 phone coaching and practical support for all men leaving our London partner prisons, assisting with critical needs such as housing, emergency food, benefits, mental health and further training.

Switchback

London

Sector: Rehabilitation

Switchback is a completely different, intensive rehabilitation programme that supports young adult offenders - Trainees - to make real, long-lasting change after their release from prison.

Contact: Leah Selinger, Acting CEO

Synergy Theatre Project

London

Sector: Theatre

Synergy Theatre Project works through theatre towards the rehabilitation of prisoners, ex-prisoners and young people at risk of offending. Synergy seeks to create ground-breaking work, harnessing the energy, instincts and life experiences of those they work with, giving them a voice and, in doing so, their dignity back. Their work provides practical opportunities which builds a bridge from prison to social integration and seeks to prevent young people from entering the criminal justice system.

Talent Match

Wolverhampton, Walsall, West Bromwich and Dudley

Sector: Charity

Black Country Talent Match is an intensive mentoring service supporting 17 to 29 year olds who face multiple barriers, to move closer to the world of work. We particularly focus on supporting young people with an offending background and work within local prisons to offer through the gates support. Additionally we work with local young people some time after release who may be struggling to make progress with their lives. Please contact Emma Searle: esearle@bctalentmatch.com

Tempus Novo

Doncaster

Sector: Recruitment

Tempus Novo is an award-winning charity which believes that employment is the key to breaking the cycle of crime. By building relationships with partner organisations, Tempus Novo is able to create employment opportunities for ex-offenders and move them away from a life of crime.

Contact: Steve Freer

The Chrysalis Programme

Northampton

Sector: Personal Development

The Chrysalis Programme is a world class Personal Leadership and Effectiveness Development Programme. This innovative and holistic personal change programme engages, inspires and compels individuals to own and drive personal change in their lives. Using positive reinforcement techniques, the programme aims to stimulate participants' thinking, attitudes and social capability. It inspires them to challenge their paradigms of thought and behaviour, increasing their feelings of self-esteem, self-motivation and hope.

Contact: David Apparicio

The Clink Charity

South East

Sector: Hospitality

Offer: Employment Preparation, Recruitment, Training

The Clink Charity is a national rehabilitation charity, providing training opportunities and rehabilitation support to two groups: people in prison and those who could be at risk of offending. Through their training projects inside and outside of prisons, they create an environment where students can develop new skills, interact with the public and access the support they need to successfully reintegrate into society on release.

They operate restaurants that are open to the public, training kitchens within prisons, horticulture programmes in prison gardens, an events catering social enterprise, a premium catering delivery service and an artisan bakery.

The Forward Trust

London

Sector: Charity

The Forward Trust (formally RAPt and Blue Sky) empowers people to break the inter-linked cycles of addiction or crime to move forward with their lives. They believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. For more than 25 years they have been working with people to build positive and productive lives.

Having a job can help break the cycle of re-offending and addiction. Forward Employment Services create chances for people to develop new skills, find work and start a new story. They offer tailored support, training and access to real jobs to ex-offenders and those in recovery from addiction.

The Hard Yard

London

Sector: Sport and Fitness

The Hard Yard is a fitness brand that trains and employs people leaving prison to lead tough workouts across London. They recruit the best talent from inside four London prisons and start working with them in the first weeks of release. All of their trainers are fully qualified and insured personal trainers, who have used fitness to transform their own lives and want to share this experience and expertise.

The Longford Trust

London

Sector: Education, Training and Employment Services

The Longford Trust is a registered charity and has three projects: its Longford Scholarships programme; its annual Longford Lecture; and its annual Longford Prize. What links all three of these programmes is our core commitment to prison reform and to second chances for prisoners. Contact: Peter Stanford Email: director@longfordtrust.org

The Oswin Project

North East

Sector: Construction

Offer: Training, Employment Preparation, Recruitment

Since 2014, the Oswin Project has been breaking the cycle of reoffending by providing people with criminal records the skills, support, and opportunities they need to build positive futures in the North East of England.

They transform lives through mentoring, training and meaningful employment.

The Reasons Why Foundation

London

Sector: Personal Development

The Reasons Why Foundation works in several prisons, as well as with London Probation, to offer through-the-gates mentoring, training and access to employment for offenders towards the end of their sentences.

Founded in 2012, our aim is to provide the right environment and support for people with convictions, helping them understand past behaviours and to make changes in how they think and behave in their lives now and in the future.

Together, with our growing team of trained volunteer mentors, supported by an RWF Staff Team, we achieve improvements in self-awareness, accountability, self-esteem and positive relationship development. Ultimately leading to improved wellbeing, reduced likelihood or re-offending and more sustainable resettlement following a period in custody.

The Skill Mill

Nationwide

Sector: Charity and Social Enterprise

The Skill Mill is a multi-award-winning social enterprise providing employment for young ex–offenders, aged between sixteen and eighteen, in watercourse and horticulture services.

They employ only ex-offenders, actively reducing reoffending whilst increasing engagement, participation, employability and educational levels of the young people to increase their life chances. They are supported by an Advisory Board of representatives from the public, private and voluntary sectors. It is this partnership which makes the Skill Mill unique and brings significant added value.

The New Leaf Initiative C.I.C

Birmingham

Sector: Charity and Social Enterprise

Offer: Creative Enrichment

The New Leaf Initiative C.I.C. are award winning prison-to-employment specialists, using motivational talks and courses, innovative prison industry and education, training and self/employment opportunities to engage and progress people with convictions, both in custody and the community. Our vision is to support as many people with convictions into work as possible by providing holistic and practical support, delivered by case workers, many of whom have personal experience of the CJS, giving the best chance of a positive resettlement. We have created many genuine employment pathways upon release, thereby increasing engagement and reducing the low rates of employment for our community.




Main Contact:

Marie Claire O'Brien, marie-claire@newleafcic.org

The Recruitment Junction

North East

Sector: Recruitment

Offer: Employment Preparation, Recruitment

The Recruitment Junction opened its doors in autumn 2020 as the first recruitment agency in the north east for people with convictions. There are many initiatives up and down the country offering a range of services to people with convictions, including employability support. There are very few organisations, however, focusing solely on placing people with convictions into paid work, as recruitment agencies. None of these has a national footprint, nor reaches the north east. The Recruitment Junction is the first specialist recruitment business of its kind in the region.

The Recruitment Junction aims to see people with convictions rediscover a sense of purpose through work and become role models who drive positive generational impact across their families. It addresses skills shortages for employers across the north east, combats persistent regional unemployment, and contributes to a national reduction in re-offending.Contact Beverley Brooks, Founder-Director via beverley.brooks@therecruitmentjunction.com

Trailblazers Mentoring

Nationwide

Sector: Charity and Social Enterprise

Offer: Mentoring and Coaching

Trailblazers is a UK charity which provides 1:1 mentorship and practical support to people in prison and post release. Their goals are to prevent reoffending and improve outcomes for those leaving prison. Their work inspires and encourages people to change their future, rebuild their lives and make a positive impact on their community.

Trinity Fencing CIC

Maidstone

Sector: Construction

Trinity Fencing provide hoarding, fencing, landscaping and tree-surgery services, and serve the community through rehabilitating young ex-offenders. With 30 years' trade experience and over 2 years working in the prison ministry, the Founder and Director, Simon Gadd, was led to create opportunities for ex-offenders through a 3-year apprenticeship with Trinity Fencing.

Unlock

Nationwide

Sector: Charity

Offer: Employment Preparation, Support for Employers

Unlock is a national independent advocacy charity that supports, speaks up and campaigns for people facing stigma, prejudice and discrimination because of their criminal record.

Its mission is to advocate for people with criminal records to be able to move on positively in their lives. They support people with criminal records to navigate their way through challenging times; research and raise awareness of the systemic issues that people are facing; and campaign for changes to legislation, policies and practices of government, employers and others.

Willowdene Farm

Midlands

Sector: Rehabilitation

Offer: Personal Support

For more than 30 years, Willowdene has been a pioneer of innovative rehabilitative solutions for men and women facing the complex issues that stem from a life filled with factors including offending behaviour, homelessness, poor mental health, substance misuse, and general disconnection from community and society at large.

Through their innovative rehabilitative pathway, targeted training, wrap-around support and social enterprise activities, they provide men and women facing a life filled with hopelessness an opportunity to take control of their future and build a life filled with purpose, intent and confidence.

Working Chance

London

Sector: Charity

Working Chance helps women with convictions to develop the confidence, skills and self-belief they need to overcome any barriers to their employment, find jobs and build careers. We work with organisations of all sizes across all sectors to find opportunities for women that align with their skills and aspirations. Since 2009, Working Chance has supported thousands of women into employment and many more on their journeys towards financial independence. To women with convictions, a job is more than an income - it means a future where she and her family can flourish.

Every woman we support has unique skills, work experience and aspirations. So whether you are looking for a permanent employee, volunteer, apprentice or intern, we can help you find the perfect match for your team. We can advise you on inclusive hiring practices and answer any questions you might have.