People are the Key

The Key Unlock Potential is a Bristol-based charity founded by volunteers who were recruited by The Restore Trust. The charity was registered in July 2019, registration number 1184633. Our team is made up of board members including representatives from the Restore Trust and HMP Bristol and volunteers. Find out more on our team page →

The story so far

The charity was registered by Suzanne Thompson of the Restore Trust Bristol in response to a need to reduce reoffending by providing access to work. Prisoners reported that on release from prison, they face huge challenges in obtaining paid employment. The charity name was chosen by a focus group in the prison, and the board continue to value the importance of the voice of those with lived experience.  

The Key facts

Many people with convictions struggle to obtain work. According to gov.uk, just 17% of ex-offenders secure a job within a year of release. A YouGov survey commissioned by the DWP found that 50% of employers would choose not to employ ex-offenders, deeming them unskilled and untrustworthy. This is despite 86% of companies that employ ex-offenders rating them as “good at their job”, and 81% of consumers stating that companies who employ ex-offenders are positively contributing to society.

The lack of stability and lack of security due to unemployment creates a cycle of reoffending and makes successful rehabilitation much more challenging. This must change, and as the statistics above illustrate, tackling this problem can be beneficial for all parties involved.

Food with conviction

Our vision is to create a safe, welcoming café and retail hub on Bristol’s Gloucester Road that will provide a steppingstone for people transitioning into permanent employment, a destination for the local community, and a mechanism for fundraising.

The food for the café will be prepared in the prison’s commercial kitchen, by prisoners. The cafe will operate 5 days a week and will be open between 8:30am and 5:30pm serving “food with conviction”. Interspersed within the café area will be art and handmade items for sale. This will include garden furniture made from pallets, including tables and planters as well as products such as keep cups and cotton bags designed and printed in the prison.

We will provide paid employment placements for people released on temporary licence (RoTL) or who have recently left prison. This will help address the most pressing issues facing the prison population, by providing access to work experience and employment, training and rehabilitation support; as a result, beneficiaries will develop transferable skills that will enable them to move on to permanents jobs. 

Our vision is Key

We are on a mission to help people rebuild their lives after they leave prison. We want to give people the tools they need to unlock confidence, pride, and positivity. We want to create a safe space for personal growth and practical experience that will enable people to secure future employment, financial stability, and break the cycle of reoffending.

Our Core Values

• We believe in the power of second chances.

• We nurture a caring, non-judgmental community, open to everyone.

• We create meaningful connections and relationships.

• We champion authenticity and untapped potential.

How we are governed

The Key Unlock Potential is a registered charity under number 1184633 and a limited company registered in England & Wales under company number 11518374. Our registered office is 4 -6 Longmead Avenue, Bristol, BS7 8QB. For more information about charities, please visit the Charity Commission website. 

To achieve our charitable object of supporting the rehabilitation of ex-offenders following their release from prison, primarily through by providing work experience and training, we work with various other organisations and charities. In particular, The Restore Trust, which is a not-for-profit social enterprise working in the South West to provide advice and guidance, skills, qualifications and confidence to people experiencing barriers to accessing training and employment opportunities. We also work closely with HMP Bristol and are supported by the Ministry of Justice, who have agreed in principle to lease us some unused space within an existing prison building in Bristol. 

We are always keen to hear from you with comments or suggestions, and take any complaints about the work that we do very seriously. If you would like to contact us with a suggestion or a complaint, please email us at hello@theykeybristol.com or fill in our Contact Us form. 

We are required to comply with certain obligations with regards to handling personal data. This ensures we keep it safe and only share or use it with permission. We are registered as a data controller with the Information Commissioners Office and have a  Privacy Notice which explains in more detail how we handle your personal information.