Reducing reoffending through employment opportunities
Supporting a social enterprise that helps prison leavers and people at risk of offending gain meaningful employment, develop new skills and build positive futures through coffee
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| Sector | Investing |
| Sub-sector | Social Impact Investing |
| Location | UK |
Opportunity
Reducing reoffending remains a significant social and economic challenge in the UK.
According to the Ministry of Justice, 38 per cent of adults leaving prison are reconvicted within one year of release, and 59 per cent of those are unemployed. The cycle of reoffending is estimated to cost UK taxpayers approximately £18 billion every year.1
Research consistently highlights employment as one of the most effective ways to reduce reoffending and support successful reintegration into society.1 However, many prison leavers face significant barriers when seeking work, limiting opportunities to build stable livelihoods and contribute positively to their communities.
Against this backdrop, Redemption Roasters operates a social enterprise model designed to create employment pathways for people with convictions. Through prison-based barista and coffee technician training, community support programmes and employment opportunities across its London coffee shops and roastery operations, Redemption Roasters provides participants with practical skills, ongoing support and access to meaningful work.2,3
Approach
In 2024, the Macquarie Group Foundation participated in an equity funding round to support the continued growth and impact of Redemption Roasters. Operating across training, employment and ongoing casework support, Redemption Roasters works with people both in custody and in the community. Participants may receive training in prison before progressing into employment opportunities across Redemption Roasters' retail and roastery operations.1,2
Alongside the financial support, Macquarie employees contributed expertise through pro bono support, helping assess the investment opportunity and support the social enterprise’s plan for growth and future impact.
Macquarie has provided employees with meaningful opportunities to support and engage with Redemption Roasters' mission, including through:
- Our coffee traders sharing market insights with Redemption Roasters’ wholesale team.
- Our employees supporting prison-based employability programmes and helping with the development of the Redemption Foundation, including board representation.
- Serving Redemption Roasters coffee at Macquarie’s London office café and client floors.
Macquarie volunteers have also taken part in coffee-tasting fundraisers, supporting the business and raising awareness of its work to reduce reoffending through employment.
Outcome
Since inception, Redemption Roasters has supported 730 people to complete its in-custody training programmes. As at August 2026, the organisation's known reoffending rate among participants stands at 1.8 per cent, compared with a national average of 38 per cent, demonstrating the potential of meaningful employment and support in helping to break the cycle of reoffending.4
Since Macquarie's investment in 2024, the organisation has continued to grow its social impact alongside its commercial operations. Participants now represent 34 per cent of the organisation's retail workforce,4 up from 20 per cent at the time of investment, while the business has expanded to 11 London coffee shops.1
Over the period, Redemption Roasters has nearly doubled its wholesale business and opened a larger roastery in Wembley, creating additional routes to market and increasing opportunities for participants to access training, employment and long-term support.
By combining commercial growth with measurable social outcomes, Redemption Roasters is helping more people build sustainable careers and positive futures while reducing reoffending across the UK.
11
coffee shops now operating across London, since founding in 2015
134
participants supported into employment through coffee shop placements4
730
people have completed in-custody training programmes4
87.5 per cent
of participants remain in role beyond 90 days, against a 58 per cent industry average4
What makes Redemption Roasters unique is the way it combines business growth with measurable social impact. Since our investment, we've seen the organisation continue to expand its reach, creating more opportunities for people with convictions to develop skills, gain employment and build positive futures. For our people, it's a partnership they can genuinely engage with, making the impact visible across the firm every day and providing genuinely good coffee!”
Rachel Engel
Regional Head, EMEA
Macquarie Group Foundation
1. ‘Impact Report 2025’, Redemption Roasters, 2025.
2. ‘Reducing reoffending through employment’, Macquarie Group Foundation, 2024
3. ‘Redemption Roasters secures £2.7 million investment to expand impact and reduce reoffending', Redemption Roasters, 2024
4. ‘Social Impact’, Redemption Roasters, 2026
