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SOCIAL IMPACT REPORTSEPTEMBER 2021
To paraphrase Lenin: “there are decades where nothing happens; and there are months where decades happen.” The 12 months since our last Social Impact Report were the latter: the fall of the Trump administration in America, the UK leaving the EU Single Market, the first successful Stage III COVID vaccine and the international Black Lives Matter protests. Lenin’s words feel as relevant today as they did then. Redemption’s purpose may have looked a little different during this dynamic period but fundamentally remains the same: to change lives through coffee. Education in UK prisons has been limited to in-cell learning since March 2020. For us, no courses means no Graduates making it from our prison academies into the company. This means our in-custody learners oen spent 23 hours plus locked in a 2x3m cell. The long-term mental health effects of this are yet to be assessed.This report outlines how we managed to pivot our impact model despite the challenging circumstances. Working closely with the Department of Work and Pensions as well as the Forward Trust we broadened our model, teaching not just offenders and ex-offenders but young men and women at the risk of crime. In-the-community training allowed us to move from redemption to prevention. Last year we brought you the story of James, a young man who, aer training with us at HMYOI Aylesbury, went on to become Head Roaster at New Ground, a highly reputable Oxford specialty coffee company. We paid James a surprise visit in July. Seeing his authority and professional confidence was very moving. This year, we spotlight John. With a background in engineering, we recruited him as our company technician. He can now be found doing the rounds at shops and wholesale clients fixing all sorts while he awaits his main assignment: teaching a coffee machine technician training course at HMP High Down. Becoming a prison instructor is very unusual for someone with history ‘in the system’ and John’s journey represents a great achievement.Founders statement>>Redemption Roasters is proud to work with some amazing institutions, and are grateful for the help that they provide in order for us to achieve our social mission.Our partners
To paraphrase Lenin: “there are decades where nothing happens; and there are months where decades happen.” The 12 months since our last Social Impact Report were the latter: the fall of the Trump administration in America, the UK leaving the EU Single Market, the first successful Stage III COVID vaccine and the international Black Lives Matter protests. Lenin’s words feel as relevant today as they did then. Redemption’s purpose may have looked a little different during this dynamic period but fundamentally remains the same: to change lives through coffee. Education in UK prisons has been limited to in-cell learning since March 2020. For us, no courses means no Graduates making it from our prison academies into the company. This means our in-custody learners oen spent 23 hours plus locked in a 2x3m cell. The long-term mental health effects of this are yet to be assessed.This report outlines how we managed to pivot our impact model despite the challenging circumstances. Working closely with the Department of Work and Pensions as well as the Forward Trust we broadened our model, teaching not just offenders and ex-offenders but young men and women at the risk of crime. In-the-community training allowed us to move from redemption to prevention. Last year we brought you the story of James, a young man who, aer training with us at HMYOI Aylesbury, went on to become Head Roaster at New Ground, a highly reputable Oxford specialty coffee company. We paid James a surprise visit in July. Seeing his authority and professional confidence was very moving. This year, we spotlight John. With a background in engineering, we recruited him as our company technician. He can now be found doing the rounds at shops and wholesale clients fixing all sorts while he awaits his main assignment: teaching a coffee machine technician training course at HMP High Down. Becoming a prison instructor is very unusual for someone with history ‘in the system’ and John’s journey represents a great achievement.Founders statement>>Redemption Roasters is proud to work with some amazing institutions, and are grateful for the help that they provide in order for us to achieve our social mission.Our partners
The degree of participation by our beneficiaries in Redemption’s business is an important measure of our success. We are oen told that the difference between us and other social impact organisations is that our purpose is baked in: the goods we sell are made in a prison. Last year, an average of 8% of our workforce was drawn from our beneficiary group. This year, it increased to 22%, a number we are enormously proud of.The response to Redemption’s mission by customers, wholesale clients, staff and beneficiaries is overwhelmingly positive. In a recent customer survey, 94% of respondents stated our company mission was the reason they chose to support our business. Similarly, in an internal staff survey, 91% of our staff either ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that they believed in Redemption’s overall vision and mission. It is this joint belief in our mission by all Redemption stakeholders which propels us forward. Like all fast-growing organisations, we have our critics. Some say that roasting coffee in a prison artificially reduces our production costs. Anyone who believes this has never visited our roastery or seen our P&L. First, Ministry of Justice rules on anti-competitive behaviour ensure that no business with operations on its estate benefits unfairly. Second, dealing with prison bureaucracy and unforeseen daily regime changes requires much more staff time than a regular roastery. Every delivery and pick-up needs to be searched and escorted to our workshop. New staff members must undergo rigorous security vetting, sometimes taking weeks or months. Attrition rates are high leading to higher recruitment costs. We work with specialised logistics companies, and have spent years coming up with workarounds and processes which allow us to operate a facility without Wifi-, mobile phones and mechanical tools. And that’s not to mention time spent on prison-related tasks by non-production or education staff in accounts, wholesale, the directors etc.Third, we employ an entire department dedicated to the welfare of our beneficiaries. They look aer complex needs and broker employment in our coffee shops or with partner organisations.As we say to investors who ask if roasting coffee in a prison leads to higher profit margins: “if you’re looking for cost efficiency, you’ve come to the wrong shop.”Closely connected to the above, is the emotive issue of offender pay. The Prisoners’ Earnings Act 1996 governs compensation of those serving sentences. Rates of pay are undeniably very low. Some say that by working in a system like this, we are legitimising it. We disagree. Our activities lead to many ex-offenders being employed aer their sentence who would otherwise be unemployed. By entering the workforce they become economically enfranchised and benefit financially, now and in the future. On top of this, meaningful activity whilst serving a prison sentence is one of the most important contributing factors to improved mental health and overall rehabilitation. Redemption and it’s partners work hard to break the stigma of employing ex-offenders, furthering their reintegration into society. Giving someone a second chance is not just the right thing to do, it will break the cycle of re-offending. Not only does this save the taxpayer enormous amounts of money (re-offending is estimated to cost the UK £15 billion each year) but, more importantly, reducing re-offending leads to safer communities and fewer victims. Echoing Mahatma Gandhi, The Prison Reform Trust reminds us “the state of our prisons is a fair measure of the state of our society”. We think this is true. Criminal justice reform needs to happen in custody and in the community alike. We salute the individuals and organisations that have worked for positive change in this space far longer than us and hope to jointly inspire many more to follow in our footsteps.Max and Ted
The degree of participation by our beneficiaries in Redemption’s business is an important measure of our success. We are oen told that the difference between us and other social impact organisations is that our purpose is baked in: the goods we sell are made in a prison. Last year, an average of 8% of our workforce was drawn from our beneficiary group. This year, it increased to 22%, a number we are enormously proud of.The response to Redemption’s mission by customers, wholesale clients, staff and beneficiaries is overwhelmingly positive. In a recent customer survey, 94% of respondents stated our company mission was the reason they chose to support our business. Similarly, in an internal staff survey, 91% of our staff either ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that they believed in Redemption’s overall vision and mission. It is this joint belief in our mission by all Redemption stakeholders which propels us forward. Like all fast-growing organisations, we have our critics. Some say that roasting coffee in a prison artificially reduces our production costs. Anyone who believes this has never visited our roastery or seen our P&L. First, Ministry of Justice rules on anti-competitive behaviour ensure that no business with operations on its estate benefits unfairly. Second, dealing with prison bureaucracy and unforeseen daily regime changes requires much more staff time than a regular roastery. Every delivery and pick-up needs to be searched and escorted to our workshop. New staff members must undergo rigorous security vetting, sometimes taking weeks or months. Attrition rates are high leading to higher recruitment costs. We work with specialised logistics companies, and have spent years coming up with workarounds and processes which allow us to operate a facility without Wifi-, mobile phones and mechanical tools. And that’s not to mention time spent on prison-related tasks by non-production or education staff in accounts, wholesale, the directors etc.Third, we employ an entire department dedicated to the welfare of our beneficiaries. They look aer complex needs and broker employment in our coffee shops or with partner organisations.As we say to investors who ask if roasting coffee in a prison leads to higher profit margins: “if you’re looking for cost efficiency, you’ve come to the wrong shop.”Closely connected to the above, is the emotive issue of offender pay. The Prisoners’ Earnings Act 1996 governs compensation of those serving sentences. Rates of pay are undeniably very low. Some say that by working in a system like this, we are legitimising it. We disagree. Our activities lead to many ex-offenders being employed aer their sentence who would otherwise be unemployed. By entering the workforce they become economically enfranchised and benefit financially, now and in the future. On top of this, meaningful activity whilst serving a prison sentence is one of the most important contributing factors to improved mental health and overall rehabilitation. Redemption and it’s partners work hard to break the stigma of employing ex-offenders, furthering their reintegration into society. Giving someone a second chance is not just the right thing to do, it will break the cycle of re-offending. Not only does this save the taxpayer enormous amounts of money (re-offending is estimated to cost the UK £15 billion each year) but, more importantly, reducing re-offending leads to safer communities and fewer victims. Echoing Mahatma Gandhi, The Prison Reform Trust reminds us “the state of our prisons is a fair measure of the state of our society”. We think this is true. Criminal justice reform needs to happen in custody and in the community alike. We salute the individuals and organisations that have worked for positive change in this space far longer than us and hope to jointly inspire many more to follow in our footsteps.Max and Ted
Company Founders; Ted Rosner and Max DubielPage 08 - words from our Head of Education, AriannaPage 15 - Taking our mission out into the communityPage 36 - Hardship fund spendingPage 20 - Building upon support and expertisePage 38 - Success story: JohnPage 24 - Ensuring our mission is always at the forefront of our businessSocial Impact Report overviewHow has our mission evolved?Section 1What did we achieve?Section 2Section 3The Redemption Roasters company structure
Company Founders; Ted Rosner and Max DubielPage 08 - words from our Head of Education, AriannaPage 15 - Taking our mission out into the communityPage 36 - Hardship fund spendingPage 20 - Building upon support and expertisePage 38 - Success story: JohnPage 24 - Ensuring our mission is always at the forefront of our businessSocial Impact Report overviewHow has our mission evolved?Section 1What did we achieve?Section 2Section 3The Redemption Roasters company structure
Year-on-year our mission evolves to suit the needs of our beneciaries and those we help. This section will show what has changed in the past year, and what this means for us moving forward.How hasour missionevolved?
Year-on-year our mission evolves to suit the needs of our beneciaries and those we help. This section will show what has changed in the past year, and what this means for us moving forward.How hasour missionevolved?
How has our mission evolved?Like many others, we have used this past year to do some reflecting. With access to prisons and our usual means of barista training halted, we took this as a moment to turn to our community. Just before the 2020 March lockdown we began running our Espresso Futures x Forward Trust program in Hackney to serve those who had either experienced incarceration or were at-risk of crime. This led to a slight reconceptualising of who our beneficiary group is and how we want to address our mission of reducing reoffending through training and employment. Rather than simply tackling a problem from a reactive sense, ie. helping people who have already been to prison, we wanted to focus on preventing people from having to go to prison in the first place. This is why we have expanded our program to include the “at-risk” category.Words by our Head of Education, AriannaHow has our mission evolved? Page 08We already know that the unemployment rate of ex-offenders is about 5x higher than that of the general population, and recidivism rates in the UK range from a striking 60-75% for adults and young people in custody respectively (Prison Reform Trust). While gaining employment has been proven to be a critical link to breaking the cycle of reoffending, we want to avert that cycle from ever beginning.Despite the tumultuous working environment that COVID restrictions presented, we have seen that the coffee industry has endured. Our Espresso Futures course has allowed us to continue training and supporting ex-offenders, while also targeting groups of younger people who may have slipped through the cracks. Through this program and the expansion of our cafe presence, we have seen our greatest employment outcomes to date. Of the 30 individuals who graduated our barista course with a merit or higher, 14 of those have secured some level of employment within Redemption Roasters this year.How has our mission evolved? Page 09
How has our mission evolved?Like many others, we have used this past year to do some reflecting. With access to prisons and our usual means of barista training halted, we took this as a moment to turn to our community. Just before the 2020 March lockdown we began running our Espresso Futures x Forward Trust program in Hackney to serve those who had either experienced incarceration or were at-risk of crime. This led to a slight reconceptualising of who our beneficiary group is and how we want to address our mission of reducing reoffending through training and employment. Rather than simply tackling a problem from a reactive sense, ie. helping people who have already been to prison, we wanted to focus on preventing people from having to go to prison in the first place. This is why we have expanded our program to include the “at-risk” category.Words by our Head of Education, AriannaHow has our mission evolved? Page 08We already know that the unemployment rate of ex-offenders is about 5x higher than that of the general population, and recidivism rates in the UK range from a striking 60-75% for adults and young people in custody respectively (Prison Reform Trust). While gaining employment has been proven to be a critical link to breaking the cycle of reoffending, we want to avert that cycle from ever beginning.Despite the tumultuous working environment that COVID restrictions presented, we have seen that the coffee industry has endured. Our Espresso Futures course has allowed us to continue training and supporting ex-offenders, while also targeting groups of younger people who may have slipped through the cracks. Through this program and the expansion of our cafe presence, we have seen our greatest employment outcomes to date. Of the 30 individuals who graduated our barista course with a merit or higher, 14 of those have secured some level of employment within Redemption Roasters this year.How has our mission evolved? Page 09
However, employment cannot be disentangled from a whole host of issues that many of our graduates face. To help address our graduates as whole people with complex needs, we’ve also expanded our employment support team to include a second employment support coach. With the added help, we are able to maintain our standard of weekly meetings with each employed graduate and tailor a support package to meet their needs and better promote long-term employment.We hold high hopes for the circumstances within prisons to change and for our barista training to resume, primarily for the sake of the inmates who have been locked in their cells for an average of 23 hours a day. We also hope to see our presence within women’s estates grow, particularly now that we have begun our first women’s barista programme at HMP Send. This, paired with our Espresso Futures course, allows us to cast a much greater and more holistic social impact than ever before.How has our mission evolved? Page 10
However, employment cannot be disentangled from a whole host of issues that many of our graduates face. To help address our graduates as whole people with complex needs, we’ve also expanded our employment support team to include a second employment support coach. With the added help, we are able to maintain our standard of weekly meetings with each employed graduate and tailor a support package to meet their needs and better promote long-term employment.We hold high hopes for the circumstances within prisons to change and for our barista training to resume, primarily for the sake of the inmates who have been locked in their cells for an average of 23 hours a day. We also hope to see our presence within women’s estates grow, particularly now that we have begun our first women’s barista programme at HMP Send. This, paired with our Espresso Futures course, allows us to cast a much greater and more holistic social impact than ever before.How has our mission evolved? Page 10
Whatdid weachieve?This section brings to light the achievements we as a company have seen in the last year; from the Kickstarter scheme, to securing our rst women’s estate at HMP Send. A lot has happened!
Whatdid weachieve?This section brings to light the achievements we as a company have seen in the last year; from the Kickstarter scheme, to securing our rst women’s estate at HMP Send. A lot has happened!
of the Redemption Roasters workforce is made up of ourbeneficiary groups23%What did we achieve?(That means 1 out of every 3 baristas at Redemption Roasters are part of our beneciary group, or +65% vs target)Espresso Futuresthe number of individuals whohave secured employment oncompletion of the Espresso Futures course (out of 32).In February of 2020 we launched the “Espresso Futures” accelerated barista course, our first community training in East London with the goal of engaging young people who have either experienced incarceration or were at risk of crime. Alongside The Forward Trust, local job centres, London CRC and a handful of incredible charity organisations, such as Switchback, Standout and Working Chance, we received referrals for anyone meeting our basic criteria. The success of this training centre has been wonderful, and with COVID impacting our levels of engagement in prisons, this course has been a way for us to continue delivering against our mission.14How did we do this?Over this last year, COVID has forced us to think differently about how we could achieve our mission. But as a result we have been able to reach more people than ever before:1. Taking our mission out into the communityWhat did we achieve? Page 15
of the Redemption Roasters workforce is made up of ourbeneficiary groups23%What did we achieve?(That means 1 out of every 3 baristas at Redemption Roasters are part of our beneciary group, or +65% vs target)Espresso Futuresthe number of individuals whohave secured employment oncompletion of the Espresso Futures course (out of 32).In February of 2020 we launched the “Espresso Futures” accelerated barista course, our first community training in East London with the goal of engaging young people who have either experienced incarceration or were at risk of crime. Alongside The Forward Trust, local job centres, London CRC and a handful of incredible charity organisations, such as Switchback, Standout and Working Chance, we received referrals for anyone meeting our basic criteria. The success of this training centre has been wonderful, and with COVID impacting our levels of engagement in prisons, this course has been a way for us to continue delivering against our mission.14How did we do this?Over this last year, COVID has forced us to think differently about how we could achieve our mission. But as a result we have been able to reach more people than ever before:1. Taking our mission out into the communityWhat did we achieve? Page 15
In March 2021 we won 20x 6-month paid placements from the government-funded Kickstart Scheme which are being fulfilled across all of our coffee shops.The scheme has allowed us to create new job placements for 16-24 year olds on Universal Credit and helps to provide critical vocational training and experience for young people at risk of long-term unemployment (thus potentially at-risk of crime) while helping to ease the financial burdens on the hard hit hospitality industry this past year. The Kickstarter SchemeClaudia Colby, our new Barista Trainer at HMP SendWhat did we achieve? Page 1619902018The prison population has quadrupled in size between 1990 and 2018x4Did you know?What did we achieve? Page 17of offenders are unemployed within 6 weeks of being released88%of offenders are released from custody without a settled home to go to43%
In March 2021 we won 20x 6-month paid placements from the government-funded Kickstart Scheme which are being fulfilled across all of our coffee shops.The scheme has allowed us to create new job placements for 16-24 year olds on Universal Credit and helps to provide critical vocational training and experience for young people at risk of long-term unemployment (thus potentially at-risk of crime) while helping to ease the financial burdens on the hard hit hospitality industry this past year. The Kickstarter SchemeClaudia Colby, our new Barista Trainer at HMP SendWhat did we achieve? Page 1619902018The prison population has quadrupled in size between 1990 and 2018x4Did you know?What did we achieve? Page 17of offenders are unemployed within 6 weeks of being released88%of offenders are released from custody without a settled home to go to43%
Meet: PatrickInspired by the Kickstarter Scheme, we noticed a gap in the opportunities for our graduates over the age of 24 who were still looking for job experience. Thus we secured funding to create our own 3-month paid-work internships for anyone who has been through our barista courses either in prison or in the community and are interested in continuing work in the coffee industry.So far 4 out of 5 of our interns have secured permanent employment with us, makingthis an 80% success rate.“I like the diversity between the different shops. They taught me a lot and I’ve built bonds. It’s very easy to build a bond in the workplace. I just didn’t feel like a Kickstart, I felt like an employee in the team”Kickstarter scheme3-month InternshipsSpotlight
Meet: PatrickInspired by the Kickstarter Scheme, we noticed a gap in the opportunities for our graduates over the age of 24 who were still looking for job experience. Thus we secured funding to create our own 3-month paid-work internships for anyone who has been through our barista courses either in prison or in the community and are interested in continuing work in the coffee industry.So far 4 out of 5 of our interns have secured permanent employment with us, makingthis an 80% success rate.“I like the diversity between the different shops. They taught me a lot and I’ve built bonds. It’s very easy to build a bond in the workplace. I just didn’t feel like a Kickstart, I felt like an employee in the team”Kickstarter scheme3-month InternshipsSpotlight
Whilst COVID has kept us away from the heart of our mission, working with offenders in prisons, we have used this time to build upon our services ensuring we are ready to come back stronger than ever:We are offering this course and will provide training to those who may be more interested in the technical aspects of the coffee industry. This includes machine installs, preventative maintenance, and reactive maintenance.We are very excited to announce that we will be running our barista training courses within HMP Send, which will be the first time we’ve had presence in a women’s prison establishment. Due to the smaller prison population and generally longer sentences at HMP Send, we will run a 2-month long course that involves practice serving staff and visitors.Our rst espresso machine maintenance and engineering courseSecuring our rst women’s prison estate; HMP Send2. Building upon support and expertiseWhat did we achieve? Page 22This is John...John joined our ranks this past year having worked in the coffee industry as a barista and an espresso machine technician. Having been in and out of criminal justice institutions in his youth, John turned himself around with the help of some amazing organisations. Read more about John’s story on page 24.What did we achieve? Page 23
Whilst COVID has kept us away from the heart of our mission, working with offenders in prisons, we have used this time to build upon our services ensuring we are ready to come back stronger than ever:We are offering this course and will provide training to those who may be more interested in the technical aspects of the coffee industry. This includes machine installs, preventative maintenance, and reactive maintenance.We are very excited to announce that we will be running our barista training courses within HMP Send, which will be the first time we’ve had presence in a women’s prison establishment. Due to the smaller prison population and generally longer sentences at HMP Send, we will run a 2-month long course that involves practice serving staff and visitors.Our rst espresso machine maintenance and engineering courseSecuring our rst women’s prison estate; HMP Send2. Building upon support and expertiseWhat did we achieve? Page 22This is John...John joined our ranks this past year having worked in the coffee industry as a barista and an espresso machine technician. Having been in and out of criminal justice institutions in his youth, John turned himself around with the help of some amazing organisations. Read more about John’s story on page 24.What did we achieve? Page 23
We work with Khulisa, Britain’s only charity to deliver behaviour change programs which focus on the criminal justice system, to place all of our heads of department and shop managers into ‘Trauma Training’. These sessions focus on childhood development and how traumatic experiences can alter someone’s window of tolerance and responses to stress. In our line of work, we consider incarceration to be a traumatic experience and believe it is critical that we learn tools for de-escalation and relating to someone who may find it stressful to be in a customer-facing work environment. We very much celebrate these trauma-informed models of teaching and learning.Trauma Training provided for all key members of the businessWhat did we achieve? Page 24of Redemption Roasters employees from BAME backgrounds32%
We work with Khulisa, Britain’s only charity to deliver behaviour change programs which focus on the criminal justice system, to place all of our heads of department and shop managers into ‘Trauma Training’. These sessions focus on childhood development and how traumatic experiences can alter someone’s window of tolerance and responses to stress. In our line of work, we consider incarceration to be a traumatic experience and believe it is critical that we learn tools for de-escalation and relating to someone who may find it stressful to be in a customer-facing work environment. We very much celebrate these trauma-informed models of teaching and learning.Trauma Training provided for all key members of the businessWhat did we achieve? Page 24of Redemption Roasters employees from BAME backgrounds32%
As a business we are always striving to deliver against our mission across every corner of our business:We are pleased to report that our application to B. Corp was submitted in January 2021. B Corp status is awarded to companies that accrue more than a certain number of points which are awarded for socially responsible corporate policies and activities. According to our initial submission, Redemption will easily meet this threshold. If all goes to plan, we expect to be certified by the end of 2021.We’re becoming a B-Corp!3. Ensuring our mission is always at the forefront of our entire businessWhat did we achieve? Page 26We have been working hard to ensure that our green coffee buying strategy reflects the driving force of our mission statement: that exceptional coffee can come from people and places you wouldn’t expect. To this end, we have identified the ways in which we can make an impact in how we source our coffee, and provide opportunities to those who otherwise have few. This means working with female producers and indigenous groups, who are oen marginalised or disenfranchised in the coffee production industry, and sourcing from lesser known or understated origins and difficult to access regions. We have also shied the majority of our purchasing away from “spot” coffees and towards forward purchases, lowering our own costs whilst providing greater financial security for the producers we work with.Specific highlights include our Socorro series, which highlighted the devastation in Honduras caused by Hurricanes Eta and Iota and fundraised in support of the rebuilding efforts there; and our mainstay Aylesbury Blend which now incorporates a component produced through a project called “Spirit of Peace”, which sees Colombian ex-combatants rehabilitated through productive work as smallholder coffee farmers.Coffee buying strategyWhat did we achieve? Page 27
As a business we are always striving to deliver against our mission across every corner of our business:We are pleased to report that our application to B. Corp was submitted in January 2021. B Corp status is awarded to companies that accrue more than a certain number of points which are awarded for socially responsible corporate policies and activities. According to our initial submission, Redemption will easily meet this threshold. If all goes to plan, we expect to be certified by the end of 2021.We’re becoming a B-Corp!3. Ensuring our mission is always at the forefront of our entire businessWhat did we achieve? Page 26We have been working hard to ensure that our green coffee buying strategy reflects the driving force of our mission statement: that exceptional coffee can come from people and places you wouldn’t expect. To this end, we have identified the ways in which we can make an impact in how we source our coffee, and provide opportunities to those who otherwise have few. This means working with female producers and indigenous groups, who are oen marginalised or disenfranchised in the coffee production industry, and sourcing from lesser known or understated origins and difficult to access regions. We have also shied the majority of our purchasing away from “spot” coffees and towards forward purchases, lowering our own costs whilst providing greater financial security for the producers we work with.Specific highlights include our Socorro series, which highlighted the devastation in Honduras caused by Hurricanes Eta and Iota and fundraised in support of the rebuilding efforts there; and our mainstay Aylesbury Blend which now incorporates a component produced through a project called “Spirit of Peace”, which sees Colombian ex-combatants rehabilitated through productive work as smallholder coffee farmers.Coffee buying strategyWhat did we achieve? Page 27
Over the last 12 months we wanted to give back to causes which were close to our heart. Following strong sales of our Christmas coffee “Yule Brew”, Redemption made a donation of £425 to our chosen charity, Working Chance, which helps women with criminal convictions to develop their employability and self-belief. In February, we launched a special three-coffee series of Honduran lots. For every bag sold, we donated 50p to support hurricane relief efforts in Honduras. In total we have raised £421.50 which has been donated to a fund organised by Falcon Specialty.It’s important to us that the core principles and goals our mission embodies are lived across all areas of our business. To help us do this, we have created a set of brand values which have been given to every member of the Redemption Roasters company. These values say who we are and what we stand for; no matter what your role, you have a part to play in helping us achieve our purpose; to challenge perceptions and change lives through speciality coffee. of eligible jobs in food & accommodation were furloughed under the CJRS on January 31st.56%Over£800Creating company-wide brand valuesdonated to charityWhat did we achieve? Page 28Meet: Samirah“I found it really exciting. I enjoyed working on the machine and learning how coffees are made. I even learnt how to make filter coffee. I had lots of laughter and the team felt like a family.”Internship schemeSpotlight
Over the last 12 months we wanted to give back to causes which were close to our heart. Following strong sales of our Christmas coffee “Yule Brew”, Redemption made a donation of £425 to our chosen charity, Working Chance, which helps women with criminal convictions to develop their employability and self-belief. In February, we launched a special three-coffee series of Honduran lots. For every bag sold, we donated 50p to support hurricane relief efforts in Honduras. In total we have raised £421.50 which has been donated to a fund organised by Falcon Specialty.It’s important to us that the core principles and goals our mission embodies are lived across all areas of our business. To help us do this, we have created a set of brand values which have been given to every member of the Redemption Roasters company. These values say who we are and what we stand for; no matter what your role, you have a part to play in helping us achieve our purpose; to challenge perceptions and change lives through speciality coffee. of eligible jobs in food & accommodation were furloughed under the CJRS on January 31st.56%Over£800Creating company-wide brand valuesdonated to charityWhat did we achieve? Page 28Meet: Samirah“I found it really exciting. I enjoyed working on the machine and learning how coffees are made. I even learnt how to make filter coffee. I had lots of laughter and the team felt like a family.”Internship schemeSpotlight
TheRedemptionRoasterscompanystructureRead on for an in-depth look into the Redemption Roasters social enterprise model, what it’s all about, and how it affects our learners.
TheRedemptionRoasterscompanystructureRead on for an in-depth look into the Redemption Roasters social enterprise model, what it’s all about, and how it affects our learners.
RetailCommunity trainingPrison academiesRoasteryHow do Redemption Roasters achieve their mission?WholesaleLearnerGraduate Employment SupportCV workshopsInterviewpreparationCommunity trainingHolistic support*Prison academiesEg:HousingBudgetingEducationLearner journey in detail on next page >>1 week3 weeksFrom roastery to retail, take a look at how Redemptionworks from the inside out:How do Redemption achieve their mission?
RetailCommunity trainingPrison academiesRoasteryHow do Redemption Roasters achieve their mission?WholesaleLearnerGraduate Employment SupportCV workshopsInterviewpreparationCommunity trainingHolistic support*Prison academiesEg:HousingBudgetingEducationLearner journey in detail on next page >>1 week3 weeksFrom roastery to retail, take a look at how Redemptionworks from the inside out:How do Redemption achieve their mission?
Hardship fundThis forms a major part of the holistic support we give our graduatesHousing54.6%Clothing1.5%Transportation15.4%Starter Packs6.8%Miscellaneous3.5%Laptops7.9%Food10.4%Meet: Alex“The best way I can describe it is a second chance at life. When I came out of jail I met Redemption Roasters 2 days later without a home or clean clothes or food. It feels surreal to be where I am right now.”Permanent employee on completion of internshipSpotlightof graduates have accessed the hardship fund so far41%From January-March 2020, to July-September 2020, the number of workers in the hospitality sector fell by 6% (147,000).
Hardship fundThis forms a major part of the holistic support we give our graduatesHousing54.6%Clothing1.5%Transportation15.4%Starter Packs6.8%Miscellaneous3.5%Laptops7.9%Food10.4%Meet: Alex“The best way I can describe it is a second chance at life. When I came out of jail I met Redemption Roasters 2 days later without a home or clean clothes or food. It feels surreal to be where I am right now.”Permanent employee on completion of internshipSpotlightof graduates have accessed the hardship fund so far41%From January-March 2020, to July-September 2020, the number of workers in the hospitality sector fell by 6% (147,000).
John was not dealt a great hand in his early life. At a young age he was taken into care and floated through the system for the next 5 years of his childhood. Finding some stability aer his adoption when he was 7 years old, he enjoyed a more “normal” life, though these experiences le him feeling isolated and with difficulties connecting with people. Tragedy hit John again at the age of 15 when his adopted mother passed away aer a tough battle with cancer. This sent him into a spiral of self-destructive behavior that led him into homelessness at 18 years old, sleeping in doorways and begging for change in central London. While he tried to seek government assistance, he was not deemed at risk and entitled to benefits because he did not have drug dependencies, mental illness, or any career responsibilities. This was an incredibly challenging time, John reflects, “...for the next two years I was ghostly and barely existed. I find it hard to even remember these times...” These combined circumstances led to John’s eventual arrest and remand to custody in Feltham YOI. While he actually preferred The strength of the people we come in contact with through our work is always inspiring and keeps us going. For those who know him, John is incredibly bright, funny and a joy to have around. We are delighted to work with him as our Barista Technician Trainer. Here’s a bit on how far he’s come...Success story: John Page 38Success story: Johnthe sleeping arrangements, scheduled meals, and even TV access in custody, he started to seek out more help while he was there. On release, he was given a room in a hostel and began to rebuild his life. This was not a straight climb, and there were setbacks along the way, but John eventually got his life straight aer gaining an apprenticeship as a coffee machine engineer and graduated college with top marks for a BTec Level 2 in engineering maintenance.Spending the next few years fixing coffee grinders and espresso machines, John took up work on the other side of the counter as a barista until COVID hit and he was made redundant. Lucky for us, John applied and was successful in gaining our Barista Technician Trainer role. He will be running the first ever coffee machine maintenance and engineering course. While he has some trepidation about returning to the “gaol”, he has spent this past year preparing course material and practicing the course with our team. We are very grateful to John for sharing his story and taking on this next journey in life with a big grin.Success story: John Page 39
John was not dealt a great hand in his early life. At a young age he was taken into care and floated through the system for the next 5 years of his childhood. Finding some stability aer his adoption when he was 7 years old, he enjoyed a more “normal” life, though these experiences le him feeling isolated and with difficulties connecting with people. Tragedy hit John again at the age of 15 when his adopted mother passed away aer a tough battle with cancer. This sent him into a spiral of self-destructive behavior that led him into homelessness at 18 years old, sleeping in doorways and begging for change in central London. While he tried to seek government assistance, he was not deemed at risk and entitled to benefits because he did not have drug dependencies, mental illness, or any career responsibilities. This was an incredibly challenging time, John reflects, “...for the next two years I was ghostly and barely existed. I find it hard to even remember these times...” These combined circumstances led to John’s eventual arrest and remand to custody in Feltham YOI. While he actually preferred The strength of the people we come in contact with through our work is always inspiring and keeps us going. For those who know him, John is incredibly bright, funny and a joy to have around. We are delighted to work with him as our Barista Technician Trainer. Here’s a bit on how far he’s come...Success story: John Page 38Success story: Johnthe sleeping arrangements, scheduled meals, and even TV access in custody, he started to seek out more help while he was there. On release, he was given a room in a hostel and began to rebuild his life. This was not a straight climb, and there were setbacks along the way, but John eventually got his life straight aer gaining an apprenticeship as a coffee machine engineer and graduated college with top marks for a BTec Level 2 in engineering maintenance.Spending the next few years fixing coffee grinders and espresso machines, John took up work on the other side of the counter as a barista until COVID hit and he was made redundant. Lucky for us, John applied and was successful in gaining our Barista Technician Trainer role. He will be running the first ever coffee machine maintenance and engineering course. While he has some trepidation about returning to the “gaol”, he has spent this past year preparing course material and practicing the course with our team. We are very grateful to John for sharing his story and taking on this next journey in life with a big grin.Success story: John Page 39