Prison restaurant charity The Clink is opening a new café in Manchester city centre - staffed by offenders and homeless young people.

The charity runs restaurants at four prisons, including HMP Styal, near Wilmslow, where it has helped to cut re-offending rates by 41% by equipping inmates with cookery and front-of-house service skills that will help them find work around on their release.

Now the charity is to open its first venue off prison grounds, inside the Grade II listed Canada House on Chepstow Street, catering to city centre workers, shoppers and visitors.

Opening to the public in mid-April, The Clink Café will serve a range of food and drink using fresh, high quality, seasonal ingredients.

The initiative will focus on training and rehabilitating former prisoners who have graduated from The Clink's other restaurants, as well as working with clients of youth homelessness charity Centrepoint, which The Clink is involved with through its event catering arm in London.

They will all be working towards gaining nationally recognised City and Guilds NVQ level 2 qualifications in food and beverage service, as well as barista skills.

Chris Moore, chief executive of The Clink Charity, said: “Our Clink restaurants have proved incredibly successful and the café will give us the opportunity to continue the training and provide our graduates with the chance to achieve their full potential.

"Working with Centrepoint, as we do with Clink Events, allows us to expand the great work both charities do to help those who need a second chance.”

Sam Lawson Johnston of LJ Real Estate, which owns Canada House, added: “We are very excited to welcome The Clink Café to our building.

"They do exceptional work in giving people the opportunity to thrive and they will be a valuable addition to the community of businesses in Canada House and the local community.

More information on The Clink Charity and its work can be found at theclinkcharity .