No matter their past, we are working to enable a new future for people coming out of prison.
We want our coffee to fuel more than people’s daily routines. That’s why we’ve set up the NewGround Foundation, to fuel fresh starts for prison-leavers across the UK, giving them a second chance through training, employment support, and opportunities in the coffee industry.
The NewGround Foundation tackles the huge issue of reoffending—which costs approximately £18bn a year—head on. We provide expert barista training in prisons and in the community, helping those we’ve trained into employment in the coffee industry.
Coffee with conviction
Business that goes beyond profits. NewGround is both a trading company and a charitable entity. We created this structure of a business and a charity to max out on our impact.
The NewGround Foundation is the largest single shareholder of the trading company. This means profits = funds for the charity. It also ensures significant representation on the board of the trading company, keeping impact central to the strategy.
Why reoffending?
Crime can be a vicious cycle. For so many, a multitude of adverse childhood experiences and other disadvantages lead them to a path of crime, and prejudice and a lack of opportunity after prison keep them there.
This cycle won’t break on its own. With the right support and a second chance, change is possible, and we’re here to play our part.
A 2025 government report highlighted that “80% of all crime is reoffending” but that “offenders employed six weeks after leaving prison had a reoffending rate around half of those out of work.”
This is why we focus our efforts on reducing reoffending through quality training and employment support in the high vacancy coffee industry. This gives prison-leavers a viable and realistic employment pathway for their release from custody.
What we do
Our support is split into two stages:
THE NEWGROUND ACADEMY
This is our barista training academy, which we run in various prisons and probation settings. Each participant receives industry standard training, coming out with competency in the understanding and making of coffee from farm to cup.
Our aim is to give them an introduction to all the things they’d need to know and do to work in speciality coffee, and put them in as strong a position as possible to secure employment after prison.
EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT
We then help any graduate who’s interested to secure employment in the coffee industry in their release location. We make use of existing industry relationships and our business networks to connect those we have trained with potential employers.
Where possible, we also seek to help graduates eligible for Release On Temporary Licence (ROTL) to gain work experience in the coffee industry during their prison sentence.
Our hope is that, equipped with skills and employment connections in a high vacancy industry, our graduates will be well-placed to secure employment upon their release and work towards a stable, transformed future.
Partner with Us
The work we are doing simply wouldn’t be possible without the support of various partners, from businesses willing to give a chance to the people we’ve trained to individuals who generously support us financially. Our partners are crucial in empowering us to achieve significant and enduring change.
If you are a part of an organisation that you feel like could work with us in supporting people coming out of prison, whether a business, charity or statutory service, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch and we’ll arrange a time to chat.
If you are an individual who would like to partner with us in tackling reoffending and providing a new start to some of society’s most overlooked people, please consider donating via the link below. Your support would be invaluable.
