Have you ever heard of a place that helps ex offenders become working responsible individuals in the hospitality industry? The Clink Charity offers the hospitality industry the opportunity to make a real change in prisoner’s lives by training them and offering full time employment upon release. The Clink Restaurant provides a real working environment and an opportunity to change people’s perceptions of prisoners and attract potential employers.
The restaurant seats up to 92 people, with an additional private area for up to 20 people upstairs, a perfect place for meetings, events and private dining. Seasonal food is prepared and cooked in an open plan kitchen enabling diners the opportunity to watch food preparation. They rotate their menus on a weekly basis... A unique dining experience indeed.
How the Charity works:
The aim of The Clink Charity is to reduce re-offending rates of ex-offenders by training and placing graduates upon their release into the hospitality industry. The charity represents a genuine opportunity for change, offering prisoners the chance to gain food preparation, food service and cleaning qualifications as well as experience within an exciting, operational business and in-depth guidance to find full-time employment within the hospitality industry upon release. The issue of re-offending has become one of the most pressing challenges facing society today. 49% of prisoners released in the UK re-offend within the first year and for those who serve sentences under 12 months this increases to 61%. It is now recognized that the record levels of inmates in prison is not helping to reduce crime. The aim of The Clink Charity is to reduce re-offending rates of ex-offenders by training and placing graduates upon their release into the hospitality industry. Once released prisoners are placed into the ex-offender career mentoring scheme supported and run with the help of hospitality education charity Springboard. As part of the program graduates receive dedicated support from their mentor to seek full-time employment within the hospitality sector as well as help to secure accommodation, obtain financial help, open a bank account and anything else to ease their reintegration back into society.
- 85 prisoners have been or are currently being trained in The Clink Restaurant to date
- 25 have successfully been released into full time employment
The Clink Charity operates the Clink Restaurant in collaboration with HMP High Down, the Prison Service and the Ministry of Justice and is looking to develop The Clink concept in other prisons throughout the UK, as well as in external public locations.
