Two very different organisations, Beating Time which provides choirs in prisons and Enterprise Exchange, which runs self-employment courses in prisons, have come together to launch an innovative new scheme backed by James Furber, the new High Sheriff of Greater London, to support people leaving prison start their own business. The programme will marry business planning and personal development with both peer and professional mentors and successful candidates will obtain the cash they need on release to start their own businesses.
There has never been a greater need. 74,713 people were released from prison in England and Wales in the year ending June 2016, yet only 27% found work. The current prison population is approximately 85,000, yet for those serving sentences under 12 months, 60% will go on to re-offend in the year after release though stable employment reduces the probability of re-offending by up to 50%.
Enterprise Exchange, which is run by Phil Ashford (MBA) formerly of Business Link and Benna McCartney, a serial entrepreneur, have 20 years experience of helping people on the margins start up their own businesses. Out of 124 prisoners that Enterprise Exchange worked with recently, 42 went into employment or set up their own business.
Beating Time is founded and run by Heather Phillips and Jane Evans. Heather is a former Partner in City Law Firm Olswang and Jane is an ex KPMG Director. Frustrated by the lack of employment opportunities on release for the men they see flourish through their choirs, they decided to use their unusual combination of expertise and contacts in the City and Prisons to work with Phil and Benna to develop an all singing and dancing entrepreneurship programme. Both parties are approaching entrepreneurs and businesses to contribute to an Opportunity Fund that will finance both the Entrepreneurship Programme and provide the seed capital for the businesses that emerge from it.
The new High Sheriff, James Furber says, “Visiting Prisons I see huge potential in many prisoners. We’ve doubled our prison population in the last 20 years. If we want change, we have to create the opportunity to change, which is why I’m supporting this initiative by Enterprise Exchange and Beating Time.”
Enterprise Exchange also work with companies such as John Lewis to train their managers to act as Mentors to aspiring prisoners who want to set up their own businesses. This programme develops their leadership skills, gives them a different perspective on people and themselves and gets them thinking creatively about problem solving.
Joe Davis, a former inmate, with the support of Enterprise Exchange,developed his Business Plan for his South American restaurant, Panama Joes, in Littlehampton, West Sussex. He now employs 5 staff, has 4 stars on Trip Adviser and thinks he is a year away from making a profit. He is exceptionally proud of his restaurant and determined to persevere. Asked about his sentence, he says “The past is the past. My future is different and much better. “
Phil Ashford, Director of Enterprise Exchange says “This is the kind of collaborative, innovative and entrepreneurial approach we need, if we are to turn people who have served prison sentences into societal assets, rather than liabilities. I have worked with many people who are determined to rewrite their future. That’s where the “choir” element of the course really helps. In addition to a well thought through business plan, we will have had the chance over a 10 week period to see how well candidates cope with new challenges, interact, collaborate and network. We’ll see how committed they are. We’ll put them under the pressure of a performance and know how they react to that. Building a business is about more than a good idea and a Business Plan. Our investors, want to know who we are investing in, not just what.”
Think tank, The Centre for Entrepreneurs, set up by Founder of Pizza Express and Risk Capital Partners, Luke Johnson and Matt Smith, concluded in it’s recent report, “From Inmates to Entrepreneurs”that self- employment, rather than employment, was the best route for many ex-offenders to forge a better future:
79% of prisoners are interested in starting their own business which compares with 40% of the general population;
Prisoners display more of the traits, which make a successful entrepreneur than any other sector of society. Prisoners and entrepreneurs score similarly on the need for self -achievement, personal innovation and the desire for independence;
Self- employment does not discriminate against people with a criminal record in the way that traditional employment does;
Setting up a business doesn’t require formal qualifications- just a good idea, ingenuity and hard work.
As an example, The Prison Entrepreneurship Programme, in Texas, has put 1,300 people through its programme since 2004, achieving a 3 year reoffending rate of less than 7 %, in the process setting up 200 businesses.
The final word goes to Heather, “We want our investors to be genuinely invested, not just financially. We want them to act as Mentors, review and improve Business Plans and approve the investments the Fund makes.”
Beating Time and Enterprise Exchange would like to hear from any organisations or entrepreneurs who would like to support any aspect of the Opportunity Fund.
Contact: Phil Ashford at phil@enterpriseexchange.org.uk and Heather Phillips at heatherphillips@singingworks.co.uk
For more information on this press release, please contact Vikki Scott at vikki@jhpr.co.uk or on 07767371657.