Our mission is to reduce youth re-offending through delivering an innovative rehabilitation programme to those in prison and those at risk of going to prison. We also work with under 18s tackling anti-social behaviour and knife crime.
Ultimately we aim to saves lives and help break the cycle of crime. Offending already costs the economy over £18 billion annually and Key4Life helps reduce offending with astonishing results. Only 8% of participants have re-offended, compared to the national rate of over 50% one-year post release. And a Key4Life participant is four times more likely to be employed a year post-release. Since the cost of putting one participant through the Key4Life programme is £4750 versus the average annual cost of a prison place in England and Wales of £54,000, the investment is clearly worthwhile.
Through the various different charities I have set up, including HRH, The Prince of Wales’ Seeing is Believing programme, the Ready for Work programme for the homeless, and The Warrior Programme for ex service personnel, I have worked with some of the most marginalised groups in the UK.
Following the riots in 2011, I set up Key4Life, bringing together the best of all my previous work into our new Seven Step model. This new model powerfully changes lives, transforming the futures of many disaffected young people, including young men in prison, those at risk of going to prison, children caught up in anti-social behaviour like knife crime, and also children in schools.
During our 12 years in operation, we have consistently demonstrated that those who go on our programmes are four times less likely to offend, and four times more likely to gain fulltime employment or meaningful occupation. To date, we have helped turn around the lives of over 1000 young men in prison and at risk of going to prison, and reached over 8,000 children through our schools and community work.
Our goal is to build and expand our work, reaching more young people and unlocking their potential, so as to provide the opportunity for them to become good corporate citizens. The challenge now to Corporate Britain is to bequeath much needed EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES to these young men, creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, in return for which businesses will be awarded our YOUNITED Flag.
We have worked with over 2000 offenders and run 45 programmes with more than 150 companies. Our work to date has demonstrated true partnerships between local government, the prison probation service, community projects and the corporate sector.
We all play our part in providing hope and opportunities to some of the most disaffected young men and children in the country.
EVA HAMILTON – MBE, FOUNDER AND CEO