“I’ve never been out of prison for this length of time. This is a miracle in itself."

Fine Cell Work understand that resettlement and reintegration post-release can be far from straightforward. After more than two decades successfully supporting people in custody, we asked ourselves what we could meaningfully do to support our stitchers, and others, post-release. In 2019, we established Open The Gate.

Open The Gate is Fine Cell Work’s post-release employment support programme. It takes place at our Battersea Hub in London where we offer a rounded programme of support for people at any stage of their resettlement journey.

As an Open The Gate Apprentice, you will work alongside the wider Fine Cell Work team and be supported along the way by a dedicated Engagement and Support Officer. You will attend the Battersea Hub for 1 or 2 days per week for between 3 and 12 months, depending on your goals. Roles are unpaid but lunch and travel expenses are covered by us.

We provide the following support to help you move forward into further training, volunteering or employment:

What does a typical day as an Open The Gate Apprentice look like? Read on for an insight from two current Open The Gate Apprentices.

The first thing to say about Open The Gate is that it's a relaxed but structured environment.

You'll arrive at the Hub around 10.20am, make a cup of tea or coffee, and say hi to the other Apprentices and staff.

The work day starts 10.30am, when we head to the workshop and talk through your tasks for the day - no two days are the same!

You might be supporting Sales and Marketing, sorting orders, picking products, packing them up and sending them off to website customers.

You might be in the workshop, using the sewing machines to make-up and finish Fine Cell Work products or commissions, or preparing kits that are sent out to groups of stitchers in prison.

Everyone stops for lunch at 1pm. The Apprentices often eat at the corner cafe, or outside the Hub if it's nice weather.

There are always jobs to be done, like labelling finished products that have come back from prison, or stock checks in the warehouse.

Being an Open The Gate Apprentice gives you access to accredited training - like Open College Network accreditations in Peer Teaching, Warehousing, and Digital Embroidery.

Regular meetings with the Engagement Support Officer, where you spend time thinking about next steps, are something we've both found really helpful.

1. Submit an application form

The first step is to submit an application form - you can find that here. Your participation in Open The Gate will have to be signed off by your probation officer, if you have one. If you don’t have a probation officer, you should provide the name and contact details of another professional who supports your engagement. This might be a keyworker, a support worker, or a social prescriber.

2. Meet the team

If our Open The Gate Engagement and Support Officer and Workshop team agree that Open The Gate is the best next step for you and that you’d be an asset to our team, you’ll be invited to meet us in person at the Battersea Hub.

3. Confirm your start date

After a successful assessment, we’ll offer you a place on the programme. You’ll work with the Engagement and Support Officer on your action plan and decide on a start date.

“Open The Gate has helped me rebuild my future, given me purpose, and motivated me to be part of the community.”