RIFT Social Enterprise

RIFT Social Enterprise Turning potential into independence through award-winning self-employment support.

We are an award-winning, not for profit organisation that provides tailored self-employment support and training across the UK.

04/09/2026

A new approach to self-employment support in prisons starts today at HMP Fosse Way and HMP Feltham.

We are launching our Self-Employment Champions Programme and training begins for our new Champions to support the new RIFT self-employment pathway in their prisons.

Everything is ready. The certificates are printed. More to come on Sunday.

Andy visited the Workpays Restart team in Corby to speak with a room full of participants interested in self-employment,...
02/09/2026

Andy visited the Workpays Restart team in Corby to speak with a room full of participants interested in self-employment, alongside members of staff who were new to the programme.

The range of business ideas was absolutely brilliant!

We discussed cleaning services, digital art, a befriending service for older people and even a fashion shop.

Andy also had the opportunity to demonstrate our brand NEW Self-Employment Business Builder tool which was a major focus of the session.

A big thank you to the Workpays team for the welcome and to the participants who shared their ideas so openly.

RIFTSocialEnterprise

Are women in prison being given enough opportunity to explore self-employment?Kath, our Criminal Justice Lead at RIFT So...
31/08/2026

Are women in prison being given enough opportunity to explore self-employment?

Kath, our Criminal Justice Lead at RIFT Social Enterprise visited HMP Foston Hall to showcase our Self-Employment Workbook through Virtual Campus 2 and our NEW Self-Employment Champions Programme.

Women leaving prison often face a whole different set of barriers. Housing instability. Childcare responsibilities.
Trauma. Gaps in employment history and a labour market that is not always ready to look beyond a conviction.

For some women, working for themselves can offer much more flexibility and a practical alternative to conventional employment after release.

But if self-employment is rarely presented as an option, how can we know whether the relatively low numbers pursuing it reflect a lack of interest or simply a lack of opportunity?

Making our workbook available digitally gives the women at Foston Hall the chance to explore business ideas and decide for themselves whether self-employment could be a good fit for their future.

Self-employment will not be right for everyone. But every woman should be given the opportunity to consider it.

Feedback like this is a lovely reminder that sometimes the biggest impact comes from getting the small things right.One ...
27/08/2026

Feedback like this is a lovely reminder that sometimes the biggest impact comes from getting the small things right.

One of our RIFT participants told us how the support they received with social media helped them understand something in a way that worked for their neurodivergence and learning style.

They put the advice into practice. They created a routine. They became more consistent. And their social media views increased as a result.

That is what we want our support to do. Not simply to tell someone how to run a business but help them find practical ways of doing it that work for them.

Everyone learns differently. Everyone starts from a different place. Good self-employment support needs to recognise that.

Well done to our team and even more importantly, well done to the participant for putting the advice into action. 👏

Yesterday Andy had the pleasure of another meeting with former Olympic Champion Fatima Whitbread MBE and the team behind...
25/08/2026

Yesterday Andy had the pleasure of another meeting with former Olympic Champion Fatima Whitbread MBE and the team behind Fatima’s UK Campaign, exploring how we can work together to create better employment pathways for young people leaving prison.

Through Fatima’s Action Hub network, the ambition is to bring prisons, training providers, employers and specialist organisations together around the individual, connecting skills and opportunities with genuine support.

RIFT Social Enterprise is proud to be asked to participate in this important initiative.

GINA Jean Jan Post

Andy had the pleasure of attending the Employer Engagement Event at HMP Foston Hall with Deb Proctor, one of RIFT Social...
23/08/2026

Andy had the pleasure of attending the Employer Engagement Event at HMP Foston Hall with Deb Proctor, one of RIFT Social Enterprises most valued supporters.

The women prepared and served an impressive meal, showcasing not only their food and hospitality skills but also the confidence, professionalism and potential they can bring to the workplace.

RIFT Social Enterprise is also supporting women at Foston Hall through our digital self-employment workbook, available on Virtual Campus 2. It gives women the opportunity to explore whether self-employment could offer them a realistic route forward, and to begin developing their ideas while still in custody.

Events like this give employers the chance to look beyond someone’s past and see what they could contribute in the future. For women leaving prison, that opportunity to be seen differently can be the beginning of real change.

Thank you to Katie Stanley and everyone at HMP Foston Hall, The Right Course, Café Amisha, Port Vale FC, Friends of Foston and the other organisations involved in creating such a purposeful evening.

And, as always, a huge thank you to Deb for continuing to believe in RIFT Social Enterprise and all of the people we support.

Andy caught up with Kath, our Criminal Justice Lead, today at the brilliant Secret Diner outside HMP Sudbury.We talked a...
19/08/2026

Andy caught up with Kath, our Criminal Justice Lead, today at the brilliant Secret Diner outside HMP Sudbury.

We talked about her new role, what we are learning from our work in prisons and where RIFT Social Enterprise goes next.

There is a real opportunity for us to build on the presence we already have across the prison system.

Not simply by getting into more prisons but by developing stronger relationships, listening to what individual prisons need and making specialist self-employment support a meaningful part of the employment offer for people in custody and after release.

Kath’s new role gives us more capacity to do exactly that.

There is plenty happening already, and plenty more we want to do, across the UK and, increasingly, further afield.

Very exciting times ahead for RIFT Social Enterprise, and if you happen to be near HMP Sudbury, the Secret Diner is definitely worth a visit. ☕

Another women’s prison. Another huge opportunity for us to make self-employment a genuine route forward.We are absolutel...
16/08/2026

Another women’s prison. Another huge opportunity for us to make self-employment a genuine route forward.

We are absolutely delighted to announce that RIFT Social Enterprise is bringing our specialist, award winning self-employment support to HMP Bronzefield.

Having already worked extensively with some of the incredible women at HMP Eastwood Park and HMP Send, we have seen first hand just how powerful self-employment support can be for women preparing for release.

For some, conventional employment can present real barriers. Self-employment offers another route. A chance to take existing skills, experience and ideas and turn them into something sustainable.

At HMP Bronzefield, the women will be able to access RIFT’s self-employment training digitally through VC2, giving them the opportunity to explore whether starting a business could be right for them and begin developing their ideas while still in custody.

But the part we are particularly pleased about is what happens next.

We will also be supporting five women through the gate, building the relationship before release and continuing that mentoring and practical support as they return to the community.

Because if employment on release is the outcome, we need to design the support backwards from that outcome. Release cannot be where the relationship ends.

A huge thank you to Polly Roberts and the team at HMP Bronzefield for believing in what RIFT can bring and for sharing our ambition to give women a genuine route into self-employment and business ownership.

We cannot wait to meet the women, hear their ideas and help turn them into businesses.

HMP Eastwood Park, HMP Send and now HMP Bronzefield. Our work supporting women into self-employment continues to grow.

SocialEnterprise

25 FULLY FUNDED prison licences available.We are pleased to announce that RIFT Social Enterprise has secured funding to ...
11/08/2026

25 FULLY FUNDED prison licences available.

We are pleased to announce that RIFT Social Enterprise has secured funding to offer 25 prisons a fully funded 12 month licence to access our digital Self-Employment Workbook, available through Coracle.

This means learners in prison can access 21 guided learning hours of practical, accredited, self-employment learning directly from their Coracle device, at no licence cost to the prison for the first year.

Our workbook has been developed and written by prisoners and is designed specifically for people who may never have considered self-employment before.

It takes learners step by step through everything from exploring an idea and understanding customers, to pricing, tax, finances and building a realistic plan for release.

We already work with many prisons across the country and this funding gives us an opportunity to open the door to 25 more establishments.

No digital licence cost for the first 12 months.
No new platform to introduce.
No complicated implementation.
Access is through Coracle.

For some people leaving prison, traditional employment roles may not suit them. Self-employment can offer another route but people need the right knowledge, preparation and support to explore it properly.

If you work in a prison, education department, employment team or resettlement service and think this could benefit the people you support, get in touch and we can provide the details.

Address

Eureka Park
Ashford
TN254BF

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+448000495978

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