For MoJ, HMPPS, Probation & Justice Commissioners
MEM Rebuild prepares people with less than 12 months left to serve, and prison leavers under supervision, to build a legal income route through fitness, coaching and community wellbeing. The pathway combines digital curriculum learning, Level 2 foundation knowledge, Level 3 theory preparation, mock tests, professional profile building, fitness business strategy and post-release MEM-CONNECT tools.
Years justice & community delivery experience
Justice-linked sites: HMP Pentonville, YOI Isis, HMP Belmarsh
Curriculum + post-release infrastructure
Learning → professional identity → earning routes
The rehabilitation gap
Many prison-leaver programmes build confidence but stop before the participant has a clear earning route, professional identity or post-release infrastructure. MEM Rebuild connects learning, business preparation, digital tools and real progression pathways so participants can continue after release.
Motivation without infrastructure
Prison leavers may leave custody motivated to change, but without a professional profile, business tools, client pathway or structured support, that motivation can fade quickly.
Training without earning routes
Education in custody is valuable, but many learners still need a practical route into clients, self-employment, local opportunities and supervised delivery after release.
Weak custody-to-community continuity
Support often breaks down at the point of release. MEM-CONNECT keeps the pathway active after custody through profile building, CRM tools, marketing templates, online coaching and opportunity search.
Untapped lived-experience workforce
Justice-experienced people can become credible coaches, mentors and community activators when given the right training, safeguards, verification and earning infrastructure.
The pathway
MEM Rebuild is designed as a staged pathway from custody to community. Participants start with fitness career preparation before release, then continue into professional identity, business readiness and post-release earning routes.
Fitness career awareness, baseline assessment, motivation, strengths, learning plan and introduction to self-employment in the fitness and wellbeing sector.
Digital curriculum covering Level 2 foundation knowledge, Level 3 theory preparation, anatomy and physiology, programme design, nutrition theory, professional conduct and mock tests.
Participants create a professional profile, coaching offer, business plan, release-readiness plan, marketing assets and early service ideas.
After release, participants can access MEM-CONNECT tools including CRM, online coaching infrastructure, AI programme support, marketing templates, opportunity search and routes into MEM or partner delivery where qualified and appropriate.
Digital curriculum
The curriculum is designed for people with less than 12 months left to serve. It supports fitness knowledge, qualification readiness, business confidence and professional conduct. Where formal accreditation is required, participants can progress into accredited Level 2 or Level 3 qualifications through approved routes.
Fitness industry intro, anatomy & physiology basics, coaching terminology and professional conduct
Anatomy, programme design, special populations, mock tests
Macros, hydration, nutrition theory for coaches
Self-employment, pricing, offer design, HMRC + insurance readiness
Professional conduct, client consultation, behaviour change
Templates, AI content generator, marketing packs
Timed mock tests after each learning module
Profile build, MEM-CONNECT setup, opportunity search
These tracks are already built and live on the candidate dashboard — MEM Rebuild surfaces them inside the custody pathway rather than duplicating curriculum. We use "qualification preparation" and "theory readiness"; MEM does not directly award accredited qualifications — participants progress into accredited L2 / L3 via approved awarding routes.
MEM Playbook curriculum
Once participants have built fitness theory and qualification readiness, the MEM Playbook walks them through the business reality of working in the fitness industry: client acquisition, recurring income, content, AI tools, group delivery, social enterprise routes and a 90-day post-release action plan. Built from Derrick's lived experience of rebuilding after prison through fitness.
Module 1 · MEM Playbook
Module 2 · MEM Playbook
Module 3 · MEM Playbook
Module 4 · MEM Playbook
Module 5 · MEM Playbook
Module 6 · MEM Playbook
Module 7 · MEM Playbook
Module 8 · MEM Playbook
Module 9 · MEM Playbook
Module 10 · MEM Playbook
Module 11 · MEM Playbook
Module 12 · MEM Playbook
Module 13 · MEM Playbook
The Playbook is already live and free for participants — MEM Rebuild surfaces it inside the custody pathway so prison leavers walk out with a structured business plan, not just a qualification.
Professional identity
MEM Rebuild helps participants build a new professional identity before and after release. The platform supports a LinkedIn-style fitness profile that can grow over time and connect to real opportunities.
A positive identity system — not just a profile.
This helps participants move from being defined by their past to being seen as aspiring fitness professionals, coaches, wellbeing workers and community contributors.
Readiness score
Mock illustration — calculated from module completion, mock tests, business plan and release-readiness plan.
Earning infrastructure
MEM Rebuild does not stop at education. After release, MEM-CONNECT gives participants access to practical infrastructure for self-employment and community delivery.
A public-facing profile showing story, skills, progress, services and specialisms.
Manage leads, clients, notes, check-ins and coaching relationships.
Build and sell fitness programmes, track clients and support remote coaching.
AI-assisted tools to speed up programme development, session planning and content creation.
Ready-made templates for social posts, flyers, offers, local outreach and service promotion.
Search local opportunities near release location — gyms, community programmes, volunteering, sessional work and partner routes.
Where qualified, verified, safeguarded and appropriate, participants can progress toward MEM Academy delivery opportunities.
Support with pricing, packages, offer design, client communication and self-employment basics.
Real earning pathways
MEM Academy's wider ecosystem includes NHS / community health commissioning, social prescribing, exercise referral-style delivery, local authority programmes, corporate wellbeing, youth sport and community impact work. These contracts and partnerships create a future pipeline of delivery opportunities that MEM Rebuild participants can progress toward where qualified, verified, safeguarded and appropriate.
Ecosystem flow
MEM's separate NHS commissioner pathway helps the organisation win health-led community delivery contracts. These contracts can create future sessional and support opportunities for verified coaches and wellbeing workers.
MEM can connect trained coaches to workplace wellbeing, youth sport, community fitness and prevention programmes where appropriate.
Participants are not limited to MEM contracts. MEM-CONNECT supports independent earning through online coaching, local services, digital programmes and community client-building.
MEM Rebuild does not promise automatic access to NHS referral delivery. It creates a pathway toward earning routes where participants meet the required qualification, safeguarding, insurance, verification and commissioner standards. NHS referrals remain governed by qualification, safeguarding, DBS, insurance, commissioner and clinical appropriateness requirements.
See our separate NHS commissioner pathway for the contracting model that powers this ecosystem.
Track record
MEM Academy CIC was built from lived and professional experience at the intersection of fitness, justice, youth work and community health. MEM has delivered in community and justice-linked settings, including HMP Pentonville, YOI Isis and HMP Belmarsh, and has managed significant social impact funding.
MEM has experience engaging people who mainstream provision often struggles to reach, using fitness, lived experience and trusted relationships as the engagement route.
MEM has managed significant social impact funding and multi-site community delivery, giving commissioners confidence in governance, reporting and accountability.
MEM combines digital curriculum, professional profile building, coach tools, opportunity search, delivery infrastructure and impact reporting in one fitness-led social enterprise ecosystem.
Digital infrastructure
MEM-CONNECT supports the pathway from custody to community. It helps participants learn, build a profile, prepare for self-employment, access tools, search opportunities and stay connected to MEM after release. It also gives commissioners visibility of engagement and progression.
Module progress, mock tests, learning milestones and release-readiness tracking.
LinkedIn-style coach profile for skills, story, services, progress and portfolio.
Templates, offer builders, pricing support and outreach assets.
Tools for managing clients, check-ins, programmes and remote coaching.
Search local gyms, community programmes, volunteering, sessional work and MEM partner opportunities.
Track referrals, enrolment, engagement, module completion, profile completion, mock tests, release-readiness and post-release engagement.
Structured mentor notes, action plans and progression tracking.
Concern logging, escalation routes, consent, role-based access and safeguarding oversight.
Outcomes
MEM Rebuild does not overclaim direct reductions in reoffending. Instead, it measures the protective factors linked to desistance and reintegration: routine, skills, confidence, employability, positive identity, wellbeing, community connection and legal income readiness.
Commissioner outcomes dashboard
ConfigurableOutcome reporting can be configured for MoJ, HMPPS, probation, local authority, funder or partner requirements.
Safeguarding and risk
MEM Rebuild must protect participants, commissioners, communities and service users. Progression into delivery is controlled through safeguarding, DBS, qualification, insurance, mentor review and role-specific approval.
Participants can learn and build their pathway through MEM Rebuild, but access to commissioned delivery is gated by verification, safeguarding and role-specific approval.
Getting started
A focused call with MEM leadership to review target cohort, prison/probation setting, eligibility, delivery model and intended outcomes.
Agree whether the pilot is pre-release, post-release or through-the-gate. Define referral criteria, cohort size, delivery location and partner responsibilities.
Configure the digital curriculum, learner dashboard, mentor workflow, reporting fields and release-readiness plan.
Confirm safeguarding, DBS, risk escalation, consent, data protection, role-based access and reporting arrangements.
Participants begin learning, profile building, mock tests, business planning and mentor-supported progression.
Participants retain access to MEM-CONNECT after release, supporting self-employment, opportunity search, online coaching and progression into verified delivery routes.
Readiness
We believe in transparency with commissioners. Below is an honest assessment of MEM's current position against standard requirements for justice-sector commissioning.
| Requirement | Detail | Status |
|---|---|---|
| CIC registered status | MEM Academy CIC, Company No. 09702792. Mission-locked community interest company structure. | Confirmed |
| Justice and community delivery experience | Experience in prison, youth, community and justice-linked settings including HMP Pentonville, YOI Isis and HMP Belmarsh. | Confirmed |
| Safeguarding policy | Safeguarding policy covering young people and vulnerable adults, with named safeguarding lead and escalation process. | Confirmed |
| DBS checking process | Enhanced DBS required for relevant roles and delivery settings, with verification managed through MEM's process. | Confirmed |
| Data protection | UK GDPR-compliant data protection approach and role-based access for sensitive participant information. | Confirmed |
| Curriculum quality assurance | Digital curriculum covering fitness foundation knowledge, Level 3 theory preparation, anatomy, programme design, nutrition theory, professional conduct and business strategy. | Live |
| Qualification progression route | Participants prepare for accredited fitness qualifications and can progress into formal accreditation where appropriate. | Pathway |
| Platform access and continuity | MEM-CONNECT supports learning, profile building, CRM, opportunity search, online coaching and post-release continuity. | Confirmed |
| Commissioner reporting | Dashboard can track referrals, attendance, engagement, curriculum progress, mock tests, profile completion and post-release progression. | Confirmed |
| Risk escalation | Mentor notes, safeguarding workflow, risk flags and escalation process. | In build |
| Insurance | Relevant insurance documentation available for delivery and commissioner onboarding. | Available on request |
| Cyber security readiness | Cyber Essentials / Cyber Essentials Plus pathway and independent penetration testing evidence, where complete. | In progress |
MEM Rebuild gives prisons, probation teams and commissioners a practical custody-to-community pathway that connects learning, identity, business preparation and post-release earning infrastructure. It prepares prison leavers to pursue legal income through fitness, coaching, online programmes, community wellbeing and verified delivery routes.
