The Clink Charity and Her Majesty’s Prison Service (HMPS) have confirmed there will be a fourth prisoner training restaurant, The Clink Restaurant at HMP Styal in Cheshire. It will open its doors in 2015.
Following the opening of The Clink Restaurant at HMP Brixton in February this year and the recent launch of The Clink Gardens at HMP Send, the charity is halfway to achieving its goal of 10 facilities in operation by the end of 2017. Reaching this target will see more than 500 highly trained and qualified foodservice professionals enter employment each year through the use of The Clink’s Five Step Model – Recruit, Train, Audit, Employ and Mentor.
First for women prisoners
The announcement of The Clink Restaurant at HMP Styal is a clear sign of the charity’s substantial growth as it moves into prisons in the north of England.
The latest restaurant will also be the first in a prison for women offering women prisoners the opportunity to gain experience and nationally recognised City & Guilds NVQ qualifications in cooking, cleaning and food service, which will benefit them significantly when reintegrating back into society.
Reduction in re-offending
Female re-offending is as pressing an issue as male re-offending. With almost 4,000 women in prison across the UK and a re-offending rate of 50%, within the first year of release, female re-offending is marginally above the national reoffending rate of 46.9%.
The Clink Charity research has shown reduction in re-offending, with a rate of just 12.5%* for those training in The Clink Restaurant at HMP High Down. With the sole aim of reducing re-offending, the charity has seen phenomenal success since the first training restaurant opened in May 2009, receiving numerous awards and support from high profile industry players such as Albert Roux OBE, group chef ambassador.
Governor of HMP Styal John Hewitson said: “We are pleased to welcome this exciting partnership with The Clink Charity which will help us get more women into employment and, in turn, help reduce the risk of re-offending. When the restaurant opens, it will give the community an opportunity to see first-hand how we’re helping to prepare these women for release.”
To find out more about The Clink Charity, its training projects and for information about getting involved click here
To book a table at one of The Clink Restaurants click here
*This figure has been determined by an independent examination of the reoffending rates following ex-offenders undertaking The Clink Charity’s rehabilitation programme and one full year of release. The independent examination was commissioned by The Clink Charity in May 2012.
Photograph supplied by The Clink Charity