This year our team of 5 is raising money for Onwards & Upwards, a charity which creates initiatives providing employment to ex-offenders, the first of which is XO Bikes.

What: 75km cycle ride from Richmond via Bronzefield Women’s prison and Feltham Young Offender Institution, through the Surrey countryside finishing at Herne Hill Velodrome in South East London.

Who: Matt Hardcastle, Richard Hough, Johnny Grey, Jim Turley, Pat Wall.

When: Friday 9th May 2025.

Why: Raise money for Onwards & Upwards to help break the cycle of re-offending, by creating sustainable social enterprises which mentor, train, and employ ex-offenders.

Every year 48% of those leaving prison are back inside within 12 months of release. Why? Not because they want to be but because they can’t find work. Unfortunately, in order to make ends meet they fall into previous behaviours and social groups which lead to the same outcome: prison.

This has an annual cost of £18.5 billion to the taxpayer!

Onwards & Upwards was created to show that with the right training and the stability of employment, recall to prison is not the preferred option of those leaving the criminal justice system. XO Bikes was founded in 2022 and has trained over 80 people to become bicycle mechanics, employing many and connecting with partners like Decathlon and Fettle who have hired their graduates. The second venture, XO Barbers is launching in 2025 with a training salon being installed in HMP Brixton as we speak.

The talent, passion and motivation of prison leavers is an untapped resource. Too often HR departments are quick to dismiss those with criminal records and this can severely limit not only the opportunity of someone seeking work but also the potential of a fantastic hire for that company. O&U wishes to change perceptions and start a bigger conversation around the rehabilitation of prison leavers, their place in society and ensuring that they stay outside of the criminal justice system.

Please help by giving any amount you can to this amazing cause. Or, if you can’t give financially, please help spread the word by passing this on to a few people.

Thank you! www.onwardsandupwards.uk www.xobikes.com