The Skill Mill is an award-winning social enterprise directly employing young ex-offenders aged 16–18
The Skill Mill provides the young people with paid employment working on local environmental/construction projects, along with personalised support to move on to work or training.
The average re-offending rate of the young people who attend is 8.5%, against a national average of 63%. Since March 2026, the programme has expanded and now operates across 22 local authorities in England and Wales, and is expected to support up to 352 young ex-offenders.
This is an opportunity for community groups in Reading to get environmental/construction work done for free, at a very high standard. The only thing you need to pay for is materials, if materials are needed.
Work that has been undertaken so far includes:
- Hoarding repairs and upkeep
- Bench building and installation
- Painting/decorating
- Site clearance works
- Clearing voids
- Garden maintenance and landscaping
- Vegetation clearance work
- Cleaning services
- River management
- School playground improvements
- Tree planting/pruning
- Hedge laying
The Skill Mill team is made up of a skilled supervisor and 4 young people. They can come to a local organisation as a team of 5 in a van with hand tools, uniform, PPE, risk assessments and ConstructionLine Gold accreditation – all ready to take on any low to semi-skilled tasks of any size, although the bigger the better.
We need work for our Skill Mill team here in Reading. Would you consider partnering with The Skill Mill?
- Contact: Gareth Mathias
- Email: Gareth.Mathias@theskillmill.org
- Phone: 07908641262
- Website: www.theskillmill.org