The Clink Charity has officially opened the doors of The Clink Cymru at HMP Cardiff. Jeremy Wright, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), made one of his first public appearances at the launch since being appointed Minister for Prisons and Rehabilitation. Also in attendance at the opening was Welsh-born, Michelin star winning chef Stephen Terry, who has been appointed chef ambassador of The Clink Cymru.
Commenting on the opening of the restaurant, Chris Moore, chief executive of The Clink Charity, said:
“The charity is an extremely positive influence on the national rehabilitation of prisoners. Through the use of The Clink model we are contributing to reducing re-offending in the UK by training 35 prisoners in the restaurant and a further 15 in the farms and gardens department. Each year we hope to release 50 well trained and highly qualified graduates into employment within the hospitality and farming industry.”
Alberto Crisci MBE, director of operations and founder trustee of The Clink Charity, added:
“We give prisoners the opportunity to break the cycle of reoffending once released. By training them to an exceptional standard and equipping them with the skills to build a career for themselves, once their time has been served, they have a chance to transform their life. There is much more at stake than just getting a job though, for the prisoners it’s about reclaiming their lives.”
And, speaking of the launch and its concept, Jeremy Wright, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice, said:
“We are determined to cut reoffending rates by giving offenders the skills and the work ethic they need to find employment on release from custody. I’m genuinely impressed by what I’ve seen here today. The Clink is an excellent example of how we are encouraging meaningful work and training in prisons so offenders are given what they need to address the issues that brought them to custody and are equipped to make positive changes.”
About The Clink Cymru at HMP Cardiff
The Clink Cymru operates using a similar structure to The Clink Restaurant at HMP High Down, where 28 category D prisoners from HMP Prescoed and HMP Cardiff will take on full-time positions within the restaurant and kitchen and train towards gaining nationally recognised City & Guilds NVQ qualifications before returning to their retrospective prisons at the end of each working day. A further 15 prisoners work within the farms and gardens department at HMP Prescoed where they plant, maintain and harvest crops while working towards horticultural qualifications.
The Clink Cymru at HMP Cardiff has been designed to emulate a high-end restaurant using lighting, furniture and finishing touches that have been created by prisoners from across the UK. The 96-cover restaurant will be open to the general public for breakfast and lunch, Monday to Friday and as of January 2013, plans are for it to open Monday to Thursday for evening reservations.
To more information about The Clink Cymru click here
To book a table at The Clink Cymru click here