The boss of a Somerset charity that uses horses to rehabilitate offenders is urging companies to "open their hearts" - and doors - to young men looking to turn their lives around.
Eva Hamilton MBE established Butleigh-based Key4Life, which also has offices in Bristol, in 2012 in response to the London riots.
The organisation helps young men with drug and gang convictions - or those at risk of going to prison - into employment through a seven-step programme. One she believes could reduce the strain on Britain鈥檚 prison system.
The initiative involves equine therapy, football, music, employment workshops, behavioural support, mentoring and help with transitioning back into the community.
鈥淵ou need to deal with the emotions and trauma first,鈥 she told BusinessLive. 鈥淭hese young men are brilliant entrepreneurs but just with the wrong product. They want to 鈥榞o legal鈥 but don鈥檛 know how.鈥
Key4Life goes into prisons to deliver its programme and also works with companies across a range of different industries to set up work experience and mentoring. But Ms Hamilton has called on more businesses to get involved and to 鈥渟top with the tick-box exercises鈥.
'Corporate Britain is full of fear of ex-offenders'
鈥淭he biggest challenge is to get corporate Britain to wake up,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hey are full of fear about offenders, but people all make mistakes. There are 12 million people with convictions in the 海角视频 and it鈥檚 currently very difficult for them to get a job. Many of these people have made mistakes and want to turn their life around.鈥
Bristol catering equipment giant Nisbets has been working with Key4Life for 10 years. The Avonmouth-based firm offers work tasters and mentoring.
Zoe Joyner, community and engagement manager for Nisbets, said companies are missing out on 鈥渦ntapped talent鈥 by not considering ex-offenders.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about re-educating young offenders and getting them into the workplace,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 mean you can鈥檛 change your life because you鈥檝e been in prison. Anything is possible. More companies should be engaged - there is talent there you can use.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter if they stay [in the job], it鈥檚 giving them a chance and another skill. These guys have no parents or role models, and it gives them confidence and a place in society.鈥
Danny credits Key4Life's seven-step programme with helping him turn his life around.
鈥淚 grew up in a single parent household but my mum had mental health issues,鈥 he said. I had difficulties in school and undiagnosed ADHD and found it tricky fitting in. I used to have terrible difficulty controlling my temper and emotions - I felt so trapped, desperate and hopeless.鈥
He got involved with Key4Life after his friend, Mike, recommended the programme.
鈥淭hey base it around building you up, not just work,鈥 he said. 鈥淭here were a lot of group activities to bring you out of your shell - through sports, such as football, and that appealed. I was given a mentor and he spoke to me one-on-one and I couldn鈥檛 thank him enough.
鈥淜ey4Life has given me a safe space to be myself. That freedom and peace of mind gave me time to think about my life moving forward. It made me feel welcomed and a part of something.鈥
Danny has gone on to become a mentor himself after volunteering with the charity.
He added: 鈥淜ey4life changes lives there is no doubt about that. A lot of the people have just made silly decisions and to be given an opportunity is incredible.鈥
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Ms Hamilton is hoping Keir Starmer鈥檚 new government will take the charity鈥檚 work seriously. Her ambition is to roll out the programme across Britain鈥檚 prisons, and she鈥檚 hoping new prisons minister James Timpson - famed for employing ex-offenders in his shoe repair business of the same name - will take note.
鈥淲e need the infrastructure to support prison rehabilitation,鈥 she added. 鈥淲e need customised training in prison so people can have employment as soon as they come out. We need a flotilla of support hubs so that we are delivering people straight into work. Our model could help the strain on our justice system.鈥
