GUEST COLUMN:
Tony Hughes
Managing Director
Williams Homes Bala
When we first stepped inside HMP Berwyn six years ago, we had no idea what to expect. As a construction firm that had moved from open-market housebuilding into affordable, low-carbon homes, we were used to adapting to change. But operating a workshop inside a prison was entirely new territory. It brought challenges, especially when we began during the Covid lockdown, but it also opened up opportunities we had never considered.
Today, around 36 men work daily in our prison-based workshop at HMP Berwyn in Wrexham, producing the same structural timber frames and timber-based products that we use on our sites across North and Mid Wales. What started with just six men has now seen roughly 240 to 250 go through the workshop. Many have gone on to secure employment, including with us, after release. For a company facing the same shortage of skills seen across the construction sector, it has become an important source of trained, motivated workers.
The range of work the men carry out is broad. The core of the workshop is the production of structural timber frames using home-grown Welsh timber. Beyond that, they make fence panels, gates, benches, sheds, and even bird and swift boxes for sites where ecological measures are needed. They also produce internal door sets and other items used across our developments. Keeping the work varied matters. The men want to learn, and rotating across different tasks helps them build confidence and identify what they enjoy.
Some arrive with experience, but many do not. A number openly say they have never had a job before. That does not deter us. We pair new starters with more experienced men so they can learn from someone who has already developed the skill. Our full-time senior manager, a time-served bench and site joiner, oversees all production and quality, and his role in passing on his knowledge has been invaluable. We also work closely with the prison’s own joinery workshop so that men who are progressing through their qualifications can move between the two settings.
The most important thing is that the men want to be there. They treat it as a job, not just an activity to pass the time. They take pride in the quality of the products they make, and the standard is high. We do not have to push them; they know what needs to be done and they get on with it. That sense of purpose is noticeable, and I see it as one of the reasons why the transition into employment on release can be so successful.
One of the concerns we had early on was the stigma that can come with working with prison leavers. It is a hesitation I hear from other employers too. What I can say, after six years of working closely with HMP Berwyn, is that the reality is very different. The men who work in the workshop want a second chance. They want to contribute. And when they join a site team after release, their commitment is clear. Clients have understood the value of what we are doing, and the response has been almost universally positive.
We have also seen the wider impact of sharing good practice. A similar workshop has now been set up in a South Wales prison, learning from the experience at Berwyn. That willingness to collaborate and adapt is important, because this model works. It produces skilled workers, supports rehabilitation, and strengthens the construction workforce at a time when every part of the sector feels the pressure of shortages.
For any employer considering something similar, my advice is straightforward: come and see it. Visit the workshops, speak to the men, meet the staff. Listen to their stories and see the quality of the work being produced. It removes any hesitation very quickly. We are more than happy to talk through what we have learned – both the challenges and the benefits.
Working with HMP Berwyn has become an important part of our business. It has helped us build a pipeline of skilled people at a time when the sector needs it most, and it has given men the chance to move into good, stable employment. It is something we would recommend without hesitation.
Tony Hughes talks about this and more in the Ambition North Wales podcast episode Realising the Potential of Prison Leavers. Listen to the podcast here.
