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Editor’s notes

Blue Sky Development

“I never saw a man who looked with such a wistful eye
Upon that little tent of blue which prisoners call the sky.”
- from “The Ballad of Reading Gaol” by Oscar Wilde

Over the 5 years since it was set up, Blue Sky has employed nearly 300 ex-offenders - that's greater than the entire inmate population of some of Britain's prisons. And of these, less than 15% have re-offended - that's a quarter of the national average.

Prime Minister David Cameron said, “Just look at Blue Sky…. It’s the only company in the country where you need a criminal record to work. That ex-offender may have a problem with alcohol, may be finding it hard to get a place to live, may have a child. That’s at least three government departments responsible for him. At Blue Sky, he’s got the focused attention of one place with the ideas and compassion to help him turn his life around.”

Blue Sky Development and Regeneration is an award-winning** social enterprise established by regeneration charity Groundwork Thames Valley. It employs only ex-offenders and offers them a proper job in a proper company with work-based training.

Blue Sky offers employment in grounds maintenance and recycling, and provides the social and employment skills necessary for its employees to (re-)enter the workplace.

Blue Sky is a registered company and registered charity. It works in partnership with grounds maintenance and recycling contractors in Slough, Hillingdon, Harefield, Ealing, Bristol, Gloucester, Manchester and Wakefield.

Blue Sky was founded in 2005 by Mick May, Executive Director of regeneration charity, Groundwork Thames Valley. Mick is now Blue Sky’s Chief Executive and Group Managing Director of Groundwork Thames Valley.

Key facts about re-offending:

  • Re-offending costs the UK £11 billion each year.*
  • England and Wales release 90,000 prisoners per annum. 60% re-offend within two years.*
  • Statistics show that employment reduces the probability of re-offending by 33-50%.*
  • 75% of ex-offenders have no job on release.*
  • The estimated cost for every single re-offender is believed to approximately £200,000.*
  • 25% of all prisoners leave prison to homelessness.*
  • Employment and accommodation are the two most effective interventions in reducing re-offending.*

Contacts

For more information about Blue Sky, please look around this website, or contact us on: 01895 839848 or by email to: info@blueskydevelopment.co.uk

** In 2009 Blue Sky won awards from the Centre for Social Justice and the Spark Challenge, and was shortlisted as Parliament’s ‘Charity of the Year’

* Source: “Reducing re-offending by ex-prisoners”, produced by the Social Exclusion Unit 2002
England and Wales release 90,000 prisoners each year; 60% of prisoners re-offend within 2 years.            Re-offending costs England and Wales £12 billion each year.            Employment reduces re-offending by 33-50% but 75% of ex-offenders have no job on release.