This year has been an increasingly difficult one for the Clink Charity as they face an increasingly difficult environment and reduction in funding, despite their successful track-record of reducing re-offending by 65.6%.
In 2023, the Clink trained 830 prisoners across the UK with over half securing employment on release. However, at the end of July and after 10 years of success offering training and employment to women prisoners, their award-winning restaurant at HMP Styal was forced to close due to reductions in funding from Ministry of Justice ad increased costs.
They are now faced with a similar potential threat to their flagship restaurant at HMP Brixton, where they have been forced to re-tender for the contract with government, with no guarantee of success. Their plight has caught the attention of local MP Bell Ribeiro Addy who has written a strong letter to the government minister responsible to protect it from closure. She argued in her letter,
“Since opening in 2014, The Clink Restaurant at HMP Brixton has become a popular destination in my constituency. It is frequently placed among the Top 10 restaurants in London on TripAdvisor and in 2022 was awarded a Travellers’ Choice Award, placing it in the Top 10 of restaurants worldwide.
“The scheme has a hugely positive impact on prisoner rehabilitation…The charity’s commitment to supporting graduates continued through the COVID-19 pandemic when its restaurants were forced to close. Clink Support Workers ensured that graduates in the community and those released early from prison, could still access essential services. In addition, the charity established a COVID-19 Graduate Emergency Support Fund to help those facing financial hardship purchase groceries.
“The work of the Clink has been truly invaluable. Closure of the Brixton restaurant would be a loss to the local community and to the prisoners [and society] who benefit from its programme.
“I therefore hope that the Clink’s bid to renew its tender will be given full and fair consideration, so that this vital initiative can continue its work at HMP Brixton.”
It seems bizarre that an initiative with such an impressive record in reducing re-offending rates, upskilling, and getting prison leavers into sustainable work, over a sustained period should be facing risks to the government funding its future.
For those unfamiliar with the charity, a quick explainer. The flagship restaurant is situated within the walls of HMP Brixton and is run by offenders working both in front of house and in the kitchen itself. It has received multiple accolades, and this year received a coveted AA College Rosette. The student prisoners continue to produce fantastic food and challenge perceptions as to what people in prison are like.
The Clink’s Work Soldiers On…
The Clink’s other initiatives, such as the Clink Gardens in HMP Send and HMP Erlestoke provide therapeutic training programmes and much of the fresh fruit and vegetables they produce are sent to Brixton for guests to enjoy.
Clink Events, a social enterprise events catering service, served a record 36,000 people across 218 events in London last year and received City AM’s Heart of the City Award. As a commercial endeavour, it supports much of the work carried out by the Clink in prisons. Its list of venues is growing all the time, including Mansion House, The Design Museum, Cutty Sark, St Paul’s Cathedral and many more. Much of its food is made by women in HMP Downview.
The bakery at HMP Brixton is in its third year of operation and creates artisan cakes, breads and sweet treats, as well as incredibly popular Christmas hampers each year. It was named Social Bakery of the Year in 2023 and continues to produce fantastic results and is supported generously by the Cooks Charity. Without this support, and against the backdrop of reduced funding from the Ministry of Justice, we simply would not be able to run this project so effectively. We have plans to roll out an online retail site this year, which will see customers able to purchase goods from the Bakery and Catered by Clink.
Finally, a new prevention-based project has started this year called The Clink Training Café. The aim of this is to work with young people who could be at risk of offending and steer them onto a better path. This is run in partnership with Lambeth Council and is a 12-week programme for young people aged between 16-25, offering them the chance to gain up to five City & Guilds qualifications, as well as the ability to serve the public in a live kitchen environment. The first cohort concluded in May 2025, and all the graduates went into further education or employment, with some even going to work for Clink Events. What this shows is that by adapting the Clink’s remarkably successful training programmes in prisons to work more in the community, they can create real resilience and break down barriers in much the same way. They hope to expand this offering to more young people in London and beyond soon.
Clearly the long-standing relationship between the Clink Charity and the Cooks’ Charity is an incredibly powerful one. Let us all hope that common sense prevails in government and the Clink’s Brixton contract is renewed – Ed.
And the Princess Royal lends Support Too…
In June, the Clink Charity announced that HRH The Princess Royal had generously agreed to offer her patronage in recognition of the work they do in preventing and reducing reoffending through training, rehabilitation, and support. Her Royal Highness supports several organisations working in both education and training in the criminal justice space, and it is a fitting endorsement of the Clink’s achievements that she has agreed to get involved. Her support will bring vital publicity and recognition to be shared with the public.’
