Fine Cell Work
Beautiful handcrafted items made in British prisons
Fine Cell Work help people to find. a new pattern. Every tiny stitch is done by hand and done by someone who is sitting in a prison cell, someone who could well be spending up to 23 hours of each day in the same small space.
The charity teaches serving prisoners to create high-quality needlework, producing beautiful hand-decorated cushions, table linen and some accessories. Needleworkers, most of them men, receive kits of tools and materials and a pattern suited to their skill level.
The charity provides the only paid employment that can be completed from a prison cell, and participants say it helps with mental health and allows them to feel connected to the rest of society. The sewers are paid bonuses for particularly fine work and each piece is labelled with their name.
Why they are different:
The initial designs come from some of Britain's most celebrated homeware designers. Previously, they have worked with Pentreath & Hall, Margot Selby and Kit Kemp. Each product is a work of high-quality craft and can take up to 150 hours and 40,000 stitches.
Why they are kind:
The work doesn’t end outside the prison gates: the Fine Hubs Work forms part of the post-release programme and provides former inmates with support and employment, aiming to help reintegrate into society and to prevent reoffending.
