New Northampton cafe to provide jobs for former women offenders

The Good Loaf already runs an award-winning eatery on the corner of Overstone Road and Clare Street, in The Mounts to help women break the habit of poverty, joblessness and crime.

So successful has the social enterprise been, it has won a share of a £1.6 million grant to expand it operation in Northampton town centre.

The new cafe will provide at least four full-time jobs for female offenders or those at risk of offending.

And in the evening, the cafe will close to the public and provide crisis services for women supported by mental health professionals.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: "The aim is to see a reduction in women entering the criminal justice system in the first place and interrupt the cycle of reoffending for others."

Justice Secretary David Gauke announced that community services supporting vulnerable women have been awarded £1.6 million funding, as part of the Government’s commitment to reduce the number of women entering the criminal justice system.

The money will benefit 17 different services and 83 female rape support centres.

Mr Gauke, said: “I am delighted to announce the allocation of this funding which will help divert women away from crime by providing and enhancing dedicated community services.

“A number of the organisations receiving money will provide entirely new services, while other existing schemes will be extended. All will seek to break the cycle of reoffending and support vulnerable women in the community.

“We recognise that many women in the criminal justice system are victims of domestic and sexual abuse themselves and are confident this investment in specialist services will benefit those women as well as wider society.