PeoplePlus UK recently released their new Justice Insights report “Achieving Positive Resettlement from Education to Employment” which considers the elements leading to positive resettlement from custody into the community.

The report was co-created with learners in custody, former prisoners, experts across the justice sector and local community organisations from right across the UK, including New Leaf employees and some of our clients.  Read the full report here.

New Leaf is planning to place 100 clients into work in the first year by supporting companies wishing to increase their social value to find and appoint motivated, local, work-ready people emerging from diverse and often disadvantaged backgrounds.

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, marked the launch of the new service during a tour organised by Big Society Capital yesterday, where he saw first-hand how people with convictions are being supported to move away from crime and into work.

The visit comes just a few weeks before the Government announces how it will allocate the English portion of nearly £1billion of dormant assets that can be used to help levelling-up.

Andy Street acknowledged that the initial allocation has paid dividends and advocated for further support: “The decision that was taken to put dormant assets into different funding streams has proven to be incredibly wise. My message to Government, as I know they’re considering another injection of dormant assets into social enterprise funding, would be ‘please do it’”.

Read the full story here.

The Second Chances Charter has been developed by the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, working with companies and organisations across the West Midlands to encourage them to support and employ people with a criminal record.

New Leaf is proud to have signed the charter and also to receive Gold level status, demonstrating our commitment and practices to support those who want to change their lives for the better.

To find out more about the Second Chances Charter please click here.

We welcomed friends from ISG earlier this month who kindly offered to redecorate the Training Academy in preparation for the graffiti mural we are commissioning. We cannot thank everybody at ISG enough for all their support since last year with fundraising and giving our training facility anew lease of life!

During October ISG and supply-chain on Birmingham Council House completed a 25km Peak District walk to fundraise for New Leaf. They raised an amazing total of £1600 which will be used to improve and further develop the New Leaf Training Academy to benefit our learners. The team at New Leaf would like to congratulate all of the ISG participants and thank them for their kind support.

New Leaf Founder and CEO, Marie-Claire O’Brien was recently quoted in the Express and Star article talking about social investment in the region and how this has supported those in need.

Read the full article here

New Leaf founder, Marie-Claire O’Brien was invited to speak to FE News recently, following the release of the report by Robert Halfon, Chair of the Education Select Committee about the chaotic prison education system, indicating that things have not improved to the degree we would have hoped for.

Read the full article here

Following news that the government will change the law so that prisoners at open prisons across England are able to apply for apprenticeship opportunities in vital industries, New Leaf Founder Marie-Claire O’Brien was contacted by FE News for her thoughts.

“After campaigning and researching for years on the topic of Prisoners ineligibility to be included as Trainees and Apprentices, we are extremely excited about the news today.

“The fact that both Secretary of State for Justice and Education are supporting the ground-breaking, yet common sense change in Law to enable prisoners and Industry to access this solution in difficult economic times is imperative for a variety of reasons”

Read Marie-Claire’s full statement and the article here

New Leaf is proud to announce its partnership with Heart of England Community Rail Partnership. Careers, Creativity and the Commonwealth is funded by Avanti West Coast and will support young people in Birmingham and Coventry who are facing barriers to gaining employment. Launched in January 2022, participants will have access to experience days with a wide range of employers, guaranteed interviews, employability training, and the opportunity to find out about careers in the rail sector and local community projects.

Read more about the programme here.

Careers Creativity & Commonwealth

The New Leaf Network held its annual conference and awards for Leaders with Lived Experience (LLEx) on 16th December 2021, celebrating people with lived experience, specifically recognising outstanding individuals and organisations, alongside allies in the sector.

Resilience was the theme for 2021 with a variety of speakers sharing their thoughts and expertise on the subject. We also celebrated our award winners for the year and the amazing work they do.

Find out more about the event here.

New Leaf received amazing news from The National Community Lottery Fund, confirming they are funding the development of the New Leaf Work Space & Training Academy over a period of three years. This will enable New Leaf to recruit a dedicated Tutor who will develop and expand the range of training opportunities available to our clients. More news to follow soon!

New Leaf is proud to launch our Traineeships programme for 19-24 year olds*, funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (Adult Education Budget) and delivered on behalf of B-Skill Limited.

The aim of the programme is to support young people in the region with work experience, employability skills and functional skills tutoring. Every young person participated is guaranteed a job interview with an employer.

Find out more about the programme here.

*Care leavers aged 25 are eligible for the programme. Eligibility is based on the participants age on 31.08.2021.

New Leaf Founder Marie-Claire O’Brien was recently interviewed for the More Than My Past podcast, presented by film star Jason Flemyng. Jason talks to those who have managed to overcome addiction or offending – exploring their stories and finding out how their lives have changed.

The Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch actor has worked in prisons near his South London home for 30 years, including training listeners for the Samaritans and helping run a prisoners’ radio station at HMP Wandsworth.

He says, “I’ve got interested in these people’s stories as they come out and struggle to make something of their new lives outside of incarceration. We’re going to bring you some amazing guests who you would not believe have gone through that system.”

The podcast is available from Wednesday 19th May at https://morethanmypast.org.uk/podcast/ and platforms including Spotify, Acast, Apple pods and Audioboom.

New Leaf were honoured to be asked to join the panel for The Apprenticeship Diversity and Social Mobility Forum, organised by the BAME Apprenticeship Alliance. Paul Harper (Partnerships Manager) spoke about some of the challenges faced by the clients we support, along with how external funding has been used to support them in areas including education, training and employment.

New Leaf founder Marie-Claire was recently announced the winner of The Mark Gater Outstanding Recognition award at the Expert Citizens Insight Awards 2021. This was in recognition of her work developing the New Leaf Network, culminating in the first Conference and Awards Ceremony for people with Lived Experience. It goes without saying that the New Leaf team are immensely proud of MC!

New Leaf is proud to launch the New Leaf Resettlement Helpline, a freephone number available to both serving and former-prisoners. The helpline will enable much easier access to New Leaf for serving prisoners who are looking to make plans for their release.  The line can be accessed by calling 0300 102 3456.

The New Leaf Network is a network of Leaders with Lived Expertise of the Criminal Justice System. Our mission is to support others to develop, both personally and professionally.

To recognise and celebrate our community, on the 15th December we will be holding the first annual Conference and Awards ceremony for LLEx CJS (Leaders with Lived Experience of the Criminal Justice System).

Tickets are now available. To register please visit our Eventbrite page

The New Leaf Network is a network of Leaders with Lived Expertise of the Criminal Justice System. Our mission is to support others to develop, both personally and professionally.

To recognise and celebrate our community, on 15th December we will be holding the first annual Conference and Awards ceremony for LLEx CJS (Leaders with Lived Experience of the Criminal Justice System). To view the awards categories, or make a nomination please click here.

New Leaf is setting up a co-operative CIC that will support former offenders by offering them training and employment opportunities. In setting up the new entity, New Leaf has had support and mentoring from the Hive – the co-op development programme funded by the Co-op Bank and delivered by Co-operatives UK. Click here to read the full article.

New Leaf founder Marie-Claire recently contributed an article for the Independent Monitor publication about the importance of communication and her personal journey. The full publication can be viewed here [download-attachment id=”7438″ title=”Monitor July 2020″]  You can find us on pages 22 and 23.

To the Families of Prisoners who took part in our survey a while back. Your voices are still being heard and will continue to be. I know it isn’t enough, by far, but I hope you know that none of us have forgotten about you, and we will continue to do all we can to affect change.

https://twitter.com/newleafcic/status/1283892157410160643

We are proud to announce that New Leaf will be running the UK’s first ever Visitor’s Council and Departure lounge which will be based at HMP Birmingham.  If you are passionate about researching #prisons #peermentoring #familes #resettlement #support #throughthegate please take a look at our [download-attachment id=”7100″ title=”Invitation to TenderHMPBirmingham”]

New Leaf founder Marie-Claire was recently invited as a guest on BBC Radio WM to talk about the challenges faced by individuals leaving prison.  This followed research published by Sophie Grace Gregory from Birmingham City University which can be found here. We will post a clip of the show as soon as we have it!

New Leaf and one of our service users Jas were filmed with West Mids Metro Mayor Andy Street at the launch of Wolverhampton Colleges’ Construction Training centre. Jas did an amazing job sharing his story,  including how the WMCA Construction Gateway training supported him with gaining the qualifications he needed to secure employment. Video to follow soon!

A report on Leadership in Prison Education produced by the Prisoner Learning Alliance was launched at HMP Wandsworth. The event was attended by New Leaf and the full report can be found here.

New Leaf founder Marie-Claire co-presented “Giving back by paying back: financial restitution through community payback co-operatives” with Dave Nicholson from Manchester Metropolitan University

New Leaf founder Marie-Claire shares her dissertation completed as part of her degree at the University of Warwick.

Leading with Conviction The Unique Complexities Faced by Ex-Prisoner Entrepreneurs Working Within the Criminal Justice System

Read here about Tammy, one of our service users, and her success in securing employment with Virgin Trains.