IN a corner of Glasgow city centre, a small but revolutionary social enterprise is changing lives and inspiring others around the world.

The Street and Arrow catering team is part of Braveheart Industries, a forward-thinking programme which aims to create jobs and opportunities for those with a history of offending or at risk of committing crime.

People with a criminal record can often struggle to find employment but research shows that getting a job can be one of the biggest factors in preventing reoffending.

“The project goes well beyond the benefits it has for participants and their families,” explains Sergeant Dario D’Andrea, project lead, who is based in Police Scotland’s Violence Reduction Unit. “It helps to create safer, happier and more settled communities.”

The Evening Times Streets Ahead campaign, supported by our partners Glasgow City Council, City Building and City Charitable Trust, celebrates community initiatives of all kinds.

Sergeant D’Andrea explains: “The VRU has tackled many issues since it was set up – in recent years, projects preventing gang violence, and supporting the training of vets, dentists, hairdressers and firefighters to identify the signs of domestic abuse, have had a big impact.

“Street and Arrow is the latest initiative.”

Street and Arrow began life as a social enterprise food truck in Partick, where trainees learned skills in cooking and hospitality with the aim of getting them back into work.

It has now moved into Glasgow Dental Hospital but is still open to the public, as well as staff and students, dishing up tasty modern street food.

The workforce includes men and women who have been in prison.

“Having a criminal record can make it difficult to find a job,” says Sgt D’Andrea.

“Spending a year to 18 months with us, and learning all the workplace skills such as timekeeping, all the things the rest of us take for granted when we do them every day, can be a stepping stone for the young men and women. It gives them back their confidence, gives them structure in what can often be chaotic lifestyles, and a little bit of support too.”

Over the last few years, the project has supported 150 trainees, 120 of whom have gone on to land jobs.

The benefits of Street and Arrow are being appreciated not just in Glasgow, but all over the world.

Different police forces around the country have visited the city and thanks to media interest, constabularies in London, Yorkshire, New Zealand, Brazil and France have heard about and been inspired by the Glasgow approach.

Sgt D’Andrea says: “The wider Glasgow community has given Street and Arrow a big thumbs up. Most people understand what we are trying to do here and why it will have a positive impact - there’s a big ripple effect, for example. Families see their mum or dad getting a second chance. That whole problem we have had, where someone comes out of prison, can’t find work, so starts to reoffend again,

“This is about breaking that vicious circle.

“Change isn’t easy, and it’s not always really easy. Many communities have second or third generation unemployed families with chaotic lives, which impacts negatively on the next generation.

“Braveheart Industries social enterprises, like Street and Arrow, are trying to break the cycle.”