THE OPPORTUNITY TO NEVER RE-OFFEND
We believe coffee can go beyond the cup and can be used as a catalyst for change right here in our very own communities. This is why we use our industry to create work and training opportunities for ex-offenders across the UK, giving some of the most overlooked people in society a new beginning.
We exist to provide training and job opportunities for prison leavers as we believe in second chances. And the best way to stop the cycle of re-offending (which costs the taxpayer close to £4bn/year) is by providing these opportunities.
COFFEE WITH CONVICTION
NewGround is both a trading company (New Ground Group Ltd, company no. 11446945) and a charitable entity (the NewGround Foundation, charity no. 1207899). To max out on our impact we created a structure of a business and a charity. They are intrinsically linked in several ways, ensuring that impact stays central to what we do.
The NewGround Foundation CIO is the largest single shareholder of New Ground Group Ltd which means profits = funds for the foundation. It also ensures significant representation on the board of New Ground Group Ltd, keeping impact in the strategy.
While NewGround’s business provides jobs and work experience in its cafes to people with lived experience of the criminal justice system, the NewGround Foundation trains up current prisoners in coffee & barista skills, and connects them with potential employers upon release.
WHY?
“Around 80% of all crime is reoffending but latest data shows offenders employed six weeks after leaving prison had a reoffending rate around half of those out of work.”
This statement from a 2025 government report perfectly encapsulates our WHY.
Reoffending is an enormous problem.
Employment is a highly effective solution.
Digging a little deeper, it’s evident that the outlook for prison-leavers is not a promising one. The experience of life in prison is universally challenging, with more than a third of prisoners spending 22 hours a day locked in their cell – hardly conducive to reform. And their prospects on the outside are often just as bleak.
/Only 17% of prison-leavers are employed within a year of release.
/Six weeks after release, 11% of male prison-leavers are in employment, and only 4% of female prison-leavers.
/48% of all adults released from prison re-offend within 12 months, rising to 64% for those released from short sentences (under one year).
This narrative needs changing, and we’re committed to doing just that. We know that, with a second chance, reducing reoffending and seeing transformation is possible.
HOW WE WORK
In our goal of providing “the opportunity to never reoffend”, we focus on two key areas:
THE NEWGROUND ACADEMY
We go into prisons and run an in-depth coffee & barista training course. Participants receive industry standard training, coming out with competency in the understanding and making of coffee from farm to cup, and equipped with the necessary skills to work in the coffee industry.
EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT
As NewGround Academy graduates approach release, we will help those interested to secure employment in the 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 hard skills and employment connections in a high vacancy industry, the prison-leavers we train will be well-placed to secure employment upon their release and work towards a stable, transformed future.
Drop us a message if you’d like to connect or want to find out more.
