Newsletter – 26 FEBRUARY 2026

MEMBER HAS FIVE CORE SERVICES

From: Gemma Pople, Chief Executive Konnect Communities: Based in Cornwall, we are a non-profit social enterprise supporting survivors of abuse and those impacted by the criminal justice system. Each year, we help over 250 people rebuild their lives through person-centred, trauma-informed care. Core Services: Reintegration: Prison in-reach and housing support for returning citizens. Peer Volunteering: Training those with lived experience to mentor others. Employment: Specialized assistance with disclosure and job seeking. Trauma Outreach: Stabilisation for homeless men with histories of abuse. Youth Mentoring: Support for 14–25s at risk of entering the justice system. We’ve joined the Network to collaborate with fellow members, share info and have a collective voice. gemma@konnect-communities.co.uk

FUNDING APPRENTICESHIPS

BT Group are providing fast, straight-forward access to apprenticeship funding for small businesses, charities and the public sector through a partnership with Babington. To register: https://btgrouplevytransferservice.babington.co.uk/find-a-match/register/

“PROPER” USE OF PRISON

From Mike Trace, CEO Forward Trust: There was an important debate in the House of Lords that reminded me of a recent Justice and Home Affairs Committee report calling for prison to be used properly as a place of rehabilitation. Read this concise analysis: https://lnkd.in/ejeXTT-r

LISTENING TO YOUNG OFFENDERS

From Victoria Blakeman, CEO Recycling Lives: Our recent workshops with 35 young people in Blackpool and Blackburn were eye-opening. At the start of the session many admitted they didn’t realise how serious prison was. How would they turn their lives around we asked? Stop smoking, drinking and being more careful about who they are surrounding themselves by. This is exactly the impact we were hoping for. We are expanding these King’s Trust MAP workshops with upcoming dates in Fleetwood, Nelson and Morcombe Police Cadets. We intend delivering 24 more over the next year reaching young people before poor choices become life-changing mistakes. victoria.blakeman@recyclinglives.org

MEMBERS HAVE BEEN BUSY

  • Sodexo Justice celebrated its first Building Choices graduation at HMP Peterborough, marking a milestone in the prison’s rehabilitative efforts.
  • Alex Head, Founder Social Pantry looks forward to addressing the Institute of Directors Women’s Business Forum.
  • Clinks job vacancy: If you are a people-focused, empathetic individual, passionate about improving the lives of people in prison, click this link for more details: https://lnkd.in/eAypvcE2
  • At Key4Life’s recent Gala Dinner, new recipients of their YOUNITED Flag award for employing returning citizens were KPMG UK and Wagamama.
  • Beating Time hosted its first-ever Inside Job Community Surgery with Thames Water who offered guidance on apprenticeship processes to released inmates, helping the men explore different pathways based on qualifications and experience.
  • Rebuilding Future Alliance announced barrister Rob Reiner as a new Ambassador joining actor Stephen Graham and his wife Hannah. More here: https://lnkd.in/ehKHWxhK
  • Novus partnered with The Manufacturers’ Alliance to bring employers together at HMP Thorn Cross, challenging perceptions and highlighting the value of employing prison leavers. Businesses had a first-hand view of the education and work environments within the prison, alongside honest conversations with inmates about their skills, ambitions and readiness for employment.
  • Unlocked Trailblazers matches operational Ambassadors of the Unlocked programme currently in a band three or four role with leaders across the prison service. It ensures these Ambassadors have access to the support to progress into leadership roles and have the greatest impact towards the mission of breaking cycles of reoffending. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/ekCd-k-3
  • Staff and young people from Catch22’s Youth2Adulthood (Y2A) Mentoring Service in Newham joined Prison Radio’s Outside In podcast – sharing honest conversations, practical guidance, and support for life after custody. Young people spoke about the reality of leaving prison, the support from the Y2A Hub, and steps they’re taking to move forward. Hopefully their stories will be heard by those behind bars, offering encouragement, and a sense of what’s possible beyond the gate.
  • Prisoner Education Trust: CEO Jon Collins has urged government to find the money needed to reverse the cuts in education to ensure people in prison can access good quality education which gives them the skills and qualifications that they need. We should be building on the positive signs of progress in prison education, he says, not cutting courses and making staff redundant.
  • The Clink Charity’s Life After Prison podcast featured the Governor of HMP Brixton, Mia Wheeler’s honest conversation about the challenges of running a Victorian-era prison, the balance between rehabilitation and punishment and the way her prison works with charities to enhance what they can offer its residents. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/e76gfdsu.
  • Only a Pavement Away’s annual conference in Manchester celebrated successes over the past year and looked ahead to an exciting future.
  • Food Behind Bars have been awarded a new and ambitious 3 year £300,000 project at HMP Spring Hill. Funded by The Rothschild Foundation it involves creating ‘prison food best practice’ – transforming the food served, turning a dilapidated Victorian walled garden into a flourishing market garden, plus building a farm-to-fork training kitchen inside the garden.

DRAGONS DEN EVENT

Forward Enterprise Services invite fellow members to our Dragons’ Den Style event in collaboration with The Financial Times which will feature exciting up-and-coming future entrepreneurs, supported by us, to pitch their business ideas to a panel of experts.

Event details

Date: Wednesday 22nd April 2026

Time: 9.45am to 1.30pm (with optional tour of Financial Times offices thereafter)

Venue: The Financial Times HQ Bracken House, 1 Friday Street, London, England, EC4M 9BT

SINGLE PATHWAY TO JOBS WORKS.

From People Plus: At our Social Recruitment Advocacy Group Summit, we introduced the next stage: the Justice Recruitment Advocacy Group (JRAG)shaped by our employers and partners like fellow members New Futures Network and Clinks. JRAG is the link to prison-based skills with real employer demand. It connects what happens inside—skills training aligned to real jobs, what happens after release, where the right role and the right support create stability. People know what they’re working toward. Employers can see the preparation—through curriculum collaboration, prison engagement, and ROTL opportunities. Before someone leaves custody, essentials like ID, banking, travel, and expectations are already in place, preventing early setbacks. We know stable employment reduces reoffending, and a joined-up pathway benefits far more than the individual. JRAG now offers a practical route for employers serious about engaging with people in custody, from pre-release through to sustained employment.

PILOTING SKILLSETS

From Andy Gullick, CEO RIFT SE: This week we held our second ‘Construction Futures’ project meeting in Stratford. Funded by Places for London, this pilot will provide 40 on probation with a two-week CSCS training course and employability skills. The Pilot at a Glance:• Partners: Reed in Partnership (fellow Member), RIFT Social Enterprise, and The Lighthouse Charity. • The Offer: CSCS certification, wraparound support, and a guaranteed interview with a London-based construction firm.• Evaluation: Independently reviewed by the University of Westminster. Launching April 13th, we aim for this project to become a long-term blueprint for transitioning those with convictions into sustainable careers. More info: agullick@riftse.co.uk

SHOCK PRISON LITERACY

From Shannon Trust: The 2026 Bromley Briefings Prison Fact file reveals that 66% of people in prison have the literacy skills of an 11-year-old—four times the national average. We continue to address this through peer-led literacy and numeracy programmes, which help thousands yearly. As education significantly reduces reoffending, our work remains vital for helping people navigate daily life, secure employment, and maintain family connections. Full report: https://ow.ly/NXSg50Yf2yj

VIDEO LINKS REVIVED

From Penelope Gibbs, Transform Justice: I thought video links for defendants in criminal hearings had died a (justified) death but no, Sir Brian Leveson has revived them https://lnkd.in/efSD37pZ

NETWORK ANNOUNCEMENTS

RCA APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN

.. for the Robin Corbett Award 2026 – Rewarding the best in prisoner re-integration. For the past several years, CN members have walked off with all three prizes (£5K, £3K, £2K), attended the scrumptious cream tea in the Peers Dining room at the House of Lords and been presented with the superb glass plaques donated by the Timpson Group. Let’s continue this tradition. Closing date is April 15. Application form and info about previous winners: www.robincorbettaward.co.uk

RCA APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN

Email Request Form with:

1. Your Name, Job Title & Organisation


2. What is needed most right now? (e.g. Fresh groceries, Bedding, travel …

3. Amount requested (This helps us manage the fund).

4. How will this make a difference?

5. Your organisation’s bank details

DIARISE 2026 NETWORK DATES

NATIONAL NETWORKING MEMBER CONFERENCE: Wednesday April 29, Leathersellers Livery Hall City of London 11.30 am – 4.30 pm

ZOOM SESSIONS

SESSIONS are from 12.30-1.30 pm

Please note our March session is now on Wednesday 25th. Speaker is the new broom at New Futures Network at the MoJ. He is good value!

All Thursdays: May 14: Speaker: Head of Prisoner Outcomes, MoJ

July 7: Knowing you, knowing all about you …; September 30; November 12; December 10

JOURNEY CONTINUING …

Renewing your membership takes minutes while the £60 annual fee is a fiver a month. Same as a Starbucks coffee but with the added benefit of belonging to a supportive network. We will keep your spot open for another month, but if we don’t hear from you by end of March, we’ll (reluctantly) move your membership to inactive. We’re here to help so if you are experiencing any issues with renewing, please contact: support@corbettnetwork.com