Blue Sky

Blue Sky – the award winning social enterprise that helps support ex-offenders into work – now operates in parts of the Northwest.

Blue Sky Development & Regeneration is a not-for-profit company established by Groundwork Thames Valley. It was set up to give paid work to people coming out of prison, to enable them to move successfully into long-term employment.

Over the 5 years since it was set up, Blue Sky has employed nearly 300 ex-offenders - that's greater than the entire inmate population of some of Britain's prisons. And of these, less than 15% have re-offended - that's a quarter of the national average.

Blue Sky’s mission is to help break the cycle of re-offending and achieve long-term benefits for society:

• A proper job with a proper company
• Blue Sky is a social enterprise, registered as both a company limited by guarantee and a charity
• Blue Sky employs solely ex-offenders in the grounds maintenance and recycling sectors.
• Our employees work in teams of 4-6 people with one supervisor
• Each team supervisor is also an ex-offender; he/she acts as a mentor and leads by example
• Blue Sky provides a skilled workforce in an employment sector where demand is high
• Currently Blue Sky’s commercial contracts meet approximately 60% of its running costs

Blue Sky carries out top quality grounds maintenance under contract to organisations in the private and public sectors. Blue Sky is the ideal partner for organisations looking to develop or deliver their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme.

“It is a win-win-win situation. A win for the company contracting Blue Sky, a win for the local authority, and a win for the Blue Sky beneficiaries”- Blue Sky Contractor

Please see the Blue Sky website for more information, or contact Venetia Knight at Groundwork Manchester, Salford, Stockport, Tameside & Trafford on 0161 220 1000.