Introducing The Key Cafe! 🔑

The Key Cafe:

In April, The Key Cafe opened in Bristol next to the HMP, it's a not-for-profit cafe which is run by ex-prisoners! The charity was registered by Suzanne Thompson from the Restore Trust in Bristol, and the goal was to reduce reoffending by providing access to work.

The main visions:

The Key Cafe has a big focus on rehabilitation, and giving the ex-prisoners the chance to re-enter the community with a positive outlook. Typically, it's very hard for them to find jobs once leaving the prison as they are given very few opportunities because of their past, this cafe wants to change that. They will be encouraging them to work at the cafe as it will help them gain life-long skills and change the direction of their lives in a positive way.

The Cafe is here to help ex-prisoners find a fresh start, it gives them a chance to earn money, gain some experience for future jobs & provides them with an immediate, positive role when leaving the prison. This will hopefully reduce reoffending rates for the HMP prison!

Jail Jars:

One of our suppliers, Single Variety Co, are working closely with The Key Charity to create 'Jail Jars'. Single Variety have been running jam workshops inside the prison, in which the prisoners have been learning to create their own jars of jam. As well as it being a fun workshop, the prisoners will also have gained an amazing skill and lots of Jam knowledge from the experts!

The Jail Jars are used in the cafe for the community to taste for themselves, they also have jars which are for sale so that people can take them home and use in the kitchen!

Statistics:

-Unfortunately, 54% of people reoffend after being released, one of the big factors for this is likely to be due to the fact that when they return to society, they are unable to become employed and earn a stable income, due to their past.

-48% are reconvicted within a year of their release date, hopefully now that they have a job waiting for them, it will prevent them from falling back into the same patterns.

-There has been a 74% rise in prison population in the last 30 years, this figure will lower when the reconviction rates are lowered, which is the goal for The Key Cafe.

To Conclude..

We are so proud to be working with such a fantastic charity whose goals will positively impact so many peoples lives! Our Chairman, Phil David, and Account Manager, Simon Harvey, visited the cafe recently and were left impressed with what they saw, everyone here at Arthur David is excited to see this charity succeed!

 

Imogen Tincknell - Marketing Apprentice