HMP Northumberland baking project working to prevent reoffending

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An HMP Northumberland baking project is working to stop the cycling of reoffending through teaching valuable skills and boosting the self esteem of prisoners.

Baking Out is an initiative run by the Oswin Project – a charity which supports people with criminal records by providing training and helping them become more employable.

The programme allows prisoners to work in a training bakery within the prison, producing goods which are then sold inside as well as to the general public across the North East, and in The Oswin Project farm shop, located at HMP Northumberland, Acklington.

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Sarah Ord is an experienced baker of 15 years who runs the bakery as well as Cafe 16 in Newcastle Cathedral, which is run by prisoners serving the baked goods from inside the prison. Sarah saw the role as a new challenge, and a way to use her existing skills to try and help others.

The products are sold in the Oswin Project farm shop which is open to the public, located at Northumberland HMP.The products are sold in the Oswin Project farm shop which is open to the public, located at Northumberland HMP.
The products are sold in the Oswin Project farm shop which is open to the public, located at Northumberland HMP.

She says: “The programme is there to try and break the cycle of reoffending. If you give someone the tools to be able to learn new skills, prove themselves and gain confidence, then when there time comes then they can potentially go and get themselves a really good job. which baking is.”

Those who leave the prison having taken part in the project, will also take valuable qualifications with them which can then be transferred into a professional environment upon rehabilitation.

“Every person who comes through Cafe 16 or Baking Out gains their food allergy level 2 straight away, we're also running hospitality level 2 and we're currently working on getting confectionery level 2 brought in to the bakery,” Sarah explained.

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The bakery are proud of the quality of the products – using locally sourced meat from Longframlington butchers, Green and Sons, the goods have received excellent feedback. As their clientele grows, the bakery serves regular customers such as the Alnwick Rugby Club and Woodhorn Museum.

Inmates able to work in the bakery are those who have showed good behaviour within the criminal justice system, as well as an interest towards the food industry.Inmates able to work in the bakery are those who have showed good behaviour within the criminal justice system, as well as an interest towards the food industry.
Inmates able to work in the bakery are those who have showed good behaviour within the criminal justice system, as well as an interest towards the food industry.

Sarah expanded: “There's never a bad word said, because we strive for the quality every step of the way, the response back is great. It is lovely to feed that back into the prison to try and create some positivity. It puts a spring in their step, it gives them hope and it does boost their confidence.

“The money made is all reinvested back into the charity, as demand grows we would like to reinvest that into more kit and also more training for the lads."

As the initiative develops, the charity hope to expand into another kitchen within the prison meaning more opportunities for inmates to take part.

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Sarah describes her pride of being involved with the project as it continues to grow: “I’m most proud of the care and the dedication that the prisoners take and how much it matters to them, it gets them out of their house blocks and cells and they give it their all.

“They are full of ideas, if you get someone who’s not worked with food before, they gain confidence throughout the training and you see that boost in confidence when it just clicks in them.”

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