Our MD Jo and her husband Operations Director Ben have recently supported the 100 & First Foundation, supporting their ‘reducing prisoners from re-offending’ campaign.

The 100 & First Foundation is a charity that runs courses in prisons with the aim of changing offenders’ mindsets. Using powerful, inspirational real-life experiences as frameworks for beneficiaries to create and drive their own change, Managing Director and co-Founder Will Fraser launched 100 & First in 2020, inspiring change by starting inside the prison and inside the person.

The Bars to Business project teaches entrepreneurial competencies such as creative problem solving and taking initiative, to help ex-offenders start their own businesses and boost employability generally. Over a 4-week course, prisoners recognise a small business idea, develop the necessary entrepreneurial competencies to realise this idea and produce a simple business plan to effectively communicate their idea. To conclude the course, prisoners must adopt the attitudes they have developed over the course and deliver a pitch to an audience of family, friends, senior prison staff and business leaders.

Jo and Ben have recently been part of this pitch panel, giving feedback to potential entrepreneurs and business ideas, drawing from their own experience. This concluding event consolidates course learning and gives them a profound sense of achievement that previously they would not have thought possible.

 On 14th June, 100 & First Foundation walked 52km, taking 450m of elevation to raise awareness of the alarmingly high level of reoffending (52%) within the UK. To find out more or donate, visit www.100andfirstfoundation.com.