Only A Pavement Away, the charity that helps prison leavers, veterans and those facing homelessness into employment, has received support on this initiative from The Corbett Network and The Right Course (run by Fred Sirieix). The project provides prison leavers with some basic essentials needed to start looking for work such as a pay as you go mobile phone, toiletries and access to support services.
Greg Mangham, founder and chief executive of OAPA, said: “We’re committed to working with prison leavers to give them the additional support they need to find work on the outside and helping the hospitality sector to give someone a life chance and potentially, grow new talent.
“At a very basic level, the Backpack removes the stigma of having your possessions - your life - in a see-through plastic bag. However, in addition it also provides some basic employment essentials and details of the information and support available from Only A Pavement Away and other related charities so help prison leavers begin again on the outside.”
The initial pilot will see 200 backpacks being distributed across 16 prisons, and it is hoped following this, the project can be rolled out across the UK.
Only A Pavement Away is seeking hospitality partners interested in supporting the initiative as part of their ESG commitment to help leavers develop life skills, become job ready and provide them with a direct route into employment.
For further information, visit www.onlyapavementaway.co.uk.