The Clink Charity has announced that its HMP Styal restaurant in Cheshire will be closing in July, marking the end of more than a decade of operation.
The decade-long partnership has provided training opportunities for women at the prison, with some becoming the first female apprentices to complete a hybrid apprenticeship while in custody.
However, due to rising costs and a decline in participant numbers, the Clink has determined that the restaurant at HMP Styal is no longer financially sustainable in its current form, with its closure scheduled for 31 July.
Donna-Marie Edmonds, chief executive of the Clink Charity, said: “The decision not to renew our contract at HMP Styal has been made with an incredibly heavy heart. The Clink Charity’s mission is to reduce re-offending and we have been doing this at Styal, producing outstanding results for over a decade.
“Although the restaurant will officially close this summer, our partnership at Styal will be remembered not only for its landmark training outcomes, but as a beacon of hope where women have sought refuge and rehabilitation. As one of those students puts it: ‘If it wasn’t for my journey at the Clink, I wouldn’t be where I am now’.”
The Clink continues to run its restaurant at HMP Brixton in London, located in the historic governor’s house, which dates back to 1819.
Founded in 2010, the charity operates restaurants in working prisons, where inmates staff the establishments, which are open to the public.
