The Clink Charity
740. Finlay Scott
Finlay Scott, from London, has opened four restaurants which are operated by prisoners.
He set up The Clink Charity to reduce the rate of reoffending. Each of the four restaurants serves 98,000 meals every year. In 2016 alone, The Clink Charity trained 400 prisoners. A Ministry of Justice evaluation found that the charity’s work reduced the rate of reoffending by 41%.
In a personal letter to Finlay, Prime Minister Theresa May said:
“The incredible work of ‘The Clink Charity’ has undeniably helped hundreds of prisoners turn their lives around by developing artisanal skills that they can be proud of.”
Finlay said:
“I am delighted to accept this award on behalf of The Clink team. I founded the charity as a result of a prison visit organised by The Prince’s Trust, which made me determined to help reduce reoffending. We have built and operate four training restaurants, two farm and garden projects and a contract catering organisation and plan to rehabilitate over a thousand inmates a year by 2018. We are making great strides in achieving our goals: our graduates are 42% less likely to offend, whilst this year we have won the Charity of the Year Award.”