SOCIAL ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT

A key element of both the Ex-Cell Programme and Ex-Cell Solutions is the ongoing programme of social enterprise development that complements the placement of beneficiaries with mainstream employers. The purpose of this is to provide more supportive paid work placements for those beneficiaries who require a more flexible support regime as well as to provide a wider choice of progression routes.

The first of these initiatives has been work with the social enterprise Nornir to secure the licence to operate Recycle IT

In August 2006. Recycle IT began supplying refurbished IT equipment exclusively to Computer Aid International -- the world's largest non-profit supplier of computers to developing countries.

Ormond Williams, Director of Ex-Cell Solutions said "This is a triple good news day! Firstly it creates a greater continuity of work for us, which provides a greater continuity of employment for ex-prisoners and a greater number of paid placements for Ex-Cell.

Secondly we can clearly demonstrate to our donors where their donated IT equipment will end up -- and show the good use to which it is being put in the schools and third sector organisations of the developing world. And thirdly it shows our continuing commitment to the increasingly important world-wide enviromental agenda"

In August 2006 Recycle IT partners Computer Aid International to supply refurbished computers to developing countries. In the UK over 70,000 PCs have been donated to Computer Aid International in just 6 years, enabling over 5,000 organisations in the developing world to benifit

Ex-Cell has now successfully recruited and trained ex-offenders to run Recycle IT as their cooperative. This "top-down" approach of identifying suitable businesses and business opportunities and then recruiting and training ex-offenders to run them as their own cooperatives is a main feature of Ex-Cell Solutions' work - as well as supporting those who have already identified the sort of jobs they want to create for themselves, and continuing to run the Ex-Cell Programme.

Ex-Cell Solutions is now seeking to work with partners to apply this new approach in other sectors - courier and driving sectors, building trades, cleaning sectors, security, office services and craft food production amongst others.