Everyone deserves the chance to rewrite their story.  •  With your support, we can help thousands of people move beyond their past and build a future filled with purpose, dignity and opportunity.  •  Together, we can prove that a second chance isn't just possible, it can change lives.  •  Support our Crowdfunder  •  Everyone deserves the chance to rewrite their story.  •  With your support, we can help thousands of people move beyond their past and build a future filled with purpose, dignity and opportunity.  •  Together, we can prove that a second chance isn't just possible, it can change lives.  •  Support our Crowdfunder  • 
Rehabilitation • Education • Mentoring

Changing Lives Beyond The Prison Gates

A practical education and mentoring programme for people in custody, on release and during resettlement. Built for HM Prisons, Probation Services and Rehabilitation Partners.

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Lee Orrell - Founder and Lead Mentor
Founder & Lead Mentor
Lee Orrell
Lived experience. Professional delivery. Practical support.

"Before I came across Beyond The Gate, I'd done my time but I had no real plan for what came next. I reached out to Lee, not really knowing what to expect, just looking for someone who'd understand where I was starting from. He did. There was no judgement, just straight, honest guidance from someone who'd actually lived it himself. I went on to complete the Beyond The Gate mentorship course, and it gave me more than confidence, it gave me direction. Off the back of that, I set up my own web design agency. I've now completed three projects, including this very website you're viewing right now along with the brochure. If you're sat where I was, wondering if things can actually change, they can. Beyond The Gate doesn't just tell you that. They show you how."

Dan, Founder of North Point Creative

Every week, people leave custody without a plan. Beyond The Gate helps turn second chances into real opportunities.

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In Partnership With
Liverpool John Moores University

Confidence

Rebuilding self-belief, identity and personal responsibility from the ground up.

Direction

Turning vague intentions into specific, realistic plans for work, enterprise or training.

Skills

Practical, usable skills in communication, employability, enterprise and digital confidence.

Structure

A defined programme with measurable outputs and follow-up accountability after release.

Why This Programme Exists

The challenge does not end at the gate

Many learners leave custody with good intentions, but without enough structure, confidence or practical support to turn those intentions into daily progress.

Release can mean dealing with several pressures at once: finding work, explaining a criminal record, rebuilding relationships, managing money, avoiding old patterns and trying to make positive decisions when confidence is low.

"The weeks around release are often when decisions carry the most weight. Learners need a plan before pressure builds, not after confidence has already been knocked."

Beyond The Gate combines relatable mentoring with practical learning, helping learners move from vague hopes to specific actions around work, training, business ideas and support.

Barrier One

Confidence and Identity

Learners may struggle to see themselves as employable, credible or capable of building a different life without targeted support.

Barrier Two

Opportunity and Disclosure

Work, training and self-employment can feel closed off, especially when learners do not know how to discuss their past professionally.

Barrier Three

Structure and Support

Without a plan and positive accountability, progress can be difficult to maintain during the critical weeks after release.

The Programme

A structured model for education, mentoring and progression

Practical, relatable and outcome-focused. Designed to help learners understand themselves, communicate better, prepare for work and explore legitimate routes into enterprise or employment.

01

Education

Classroom-based learning covering mindset, communication, enterprise, employability, digital confidence, money awareness and planning.

02

Mentoring

Guidance from someone with lived experience of custody, release and rebuilding life. Direct, credible and grounded in real experience.

03

Enterprise & Employment

Work readiness, CVs, disclosure, interviews, business ideas, customers, branding and the realities of self-employment.

04

Post-Release Accountability

Follow-up mentoring to maintain routine, focus and positive decision-making during the critical period after release.

Duration
Intensive 1-Week Course
Audience
Custody, Release & Resettlement
Format
Group Delivery with Mentoring
Output
Personal Plan & Next Steps
~13%
Lower Reoffending
Ministry of Justice research indicating prison education programmes can reduce reoffending by approximately 13%.
~22%
Higher Education Impact
Reductions in reoffending of up to 22% for higher education engagement in custody. Open University research.
3×
Employment as a Stabiliser
Employment after release is a major stabilising factor, strongly linked with lower reoffending and better reintegration outcomes.
Outcomes

Designed for behaviour change, release preparation and measurable progression

What Learners Leave With

Improved confidence, self-belief and personal responsibility

A clearer understanding of employment, enterprise and training options

A basic CV, interview preparation and disclosure awareness

A realistic business, self-employment or progression concept where appropriate

Better communication, presentation and relationship-building skills

Improved financial awareness, budgeting and responsibility

A personal action plan for the next stage

Access to follow-up mentoring and accountability support

What Partners Gain

Meaningful rehabilitation activity for people in custody

Support for reducing reoffending strategies and institutional KPIs

Improved learner engagement, motivation and positive behaviour

Structured support for resettlement and Through the Gate planning

Employability and enterprise readiness before release

Reportable social impact and learner progression evidence

A credible delivery model led by someone with lived experience

Support that extends beyond the classroom where appropriate

Work With Us

Bring a practical rehabilitation programme into your pathway

Bring a practical, credible and professionally structured rehabilitation programme into your education, resettlement or community pathway. We work with HM Prisons, Probation Services and rehabilitation partners across the UK.

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