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.
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.
Breaking the cycle
Reoffending is a major issue, and employment is one of the most effective ways to break the cycle. But for many prison-leavers, the odds are stacked against them. Inside, over a third spend 22 hours a day locked in their cells. Outside, opportunities are scarce. Just 17% find work within a year. Six weeks on, only 11% of men and 4% of women are employed. Nearly half reoffend within a year, rising to 64% after short sentences.
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.
