From programme to employment: marking the latest Reimagining Talent cohort at HMP Lewes
At HMP Lewes, the latest Reimagining Talent cohort has completed a five-week programme designed to support people as they prepare for employment after release.
Charlie Wates, Director and a member of the Wates family, joined Mark Creaven, Governing Governor of HMP Lewes, and Imogen Emmerson, Prison Employment Lead, alongside delivery partners and participants to celebrate the completion of the latest cohort.
Delivered by our Wates Residential Social Value team, this initiative is linked to our Flintfield Drive development in Moulsecoomb, Brighton, which we are delivering in partnership with Brighton & Hove City Council. The scheme will deliver more than 200 new council homes alongside a new community hub, including a GP surgery, library and youth centre. With construction already underway, it will also create jobs, apprenticeships and training opportunities for local people.
For the first time, the Reimagining Talent programme also included a wellbeing element delivered by Mind Nourishing, a provider specialising in nutrition and mindset coaching. Through a series of sessions, participants explored the link between nutrition, mental wellbeing and everyday habits, gaining practical tools to support focus, energy, manage stress and increase resilience.
Reimagining Talent forms part of our wider social value work, creating routes into employment by connecting training for people in custody with real opportunities. By linking the programme to live projects such as Moulsecoomb, we are helping create practical routes into employment and supporting people to take the next step into work.
