Vistry, the UK’s leading provider of mixed-tenure homes, has become the first major UK housebuilder to join the award-winning Prisoners Building Homes (PBH) programme, launching a pilot at its timber-frame manufacturing facility in Warrington.
The initiative sees three individuals currently participating in the PBH scheme gain valuable skills and employment experience within Vistry’s manufacturing operation, helping to address skills shortages while supporting rehabilitation and reducing reoffending.
PBH is an award-winning programme that works with housebuilders to provide meaningful employment opportunities for serving and former prisoners, helping them develop skills and secure long-term employment while contributing to the delivery of much-needed homes. The scheme aims to deliver 10,000 homes by 2030 while increasing employment opportunities for prison leavers and reducing reoffending rates.
The pilot at Vistry’s Warrington factory represents a significant milestone for the programme as the first partnership with a major national housebuilder.
The three participants will work alongside experienced colleagues within the factory, learning practical manufacturing skills and gaining valuable workplace experience that can support their future careers in construction.
Neil Lavis, Prisoners Building Homes Employment and Skills Manager, said:
“We’re delighted to welcome Vistry to the Prisoners Building Homes programme. Partnerships like this are vital in creating meaningful pathways into employment for people looking to rebuild their lives.
“The construction industry offers fantastic career opportunities, and by providing practical work experience and skills development, Vistry is helping to demonstrate how employers can play a positive role in reducing reoffending while addressing the sector’s skills challenges. We look forward to seeing the impact this partnership can have for the individuals involved and for the wider industry.
“Employment is one of the most important factors in helping people successfully reintegrate into society following their sentence. Opportunities like this give individuals the chance to gain valuable workplace experience, develop confidence and build skills that can support sustainable employment in the future.
“We’re grateful to Vistry for supporting the programme and providing participants with a genuine opportunity to learn, develop and contribute within a professional manufacturing environment.”
James Davis, Factory Manager at Vistry’s Warrington facility, said:
“We’re very proud to be supporting this pilot with Prisoners Building Homes.
“The programme gives individuals the opportunity to develop practical skills in a real working environment, while providing our team with access to motivated individuals keen to build a career in manufacturing and construction. The early signs have been extremely positive, and we’re excited to see how the partnership develops.”
The partnership forms part of Vistry’s wider commitment to creating social value in the communities where it operates, while supporting skills development across the construction sector.