Fox Group has officially launched Fox Worx, its dedicated social impact and workforce development programme. The launch event, held at Farington Lodge Hotel, brought together councillors, MPs, business engagement leads from local colleges and universities, employment advisory leads from HMPS, and customers and supply-chain partners from across Lancashire and the North West.
Fox Worx is not a new venture. It is the formalisation of work Fox Group has been quietly delivering for decades – employing serving and former prisoners, supporting at-risk young people, investing in apprenticeships, championing women in construction, and embedding measurable social value into every contract. Bringing this work together under a single, clearly defined banner allows Fox Group to engage more proactively with stakeholders and its supply chain, share best practice, and unlock new partnerships.
Built on the HMP Prison Service Partnership
At the heart of Fox Worx sits Fox Group’s long-running partnership with HM Prison Service. In recent years, the Group has supported approximately 30 prisoners per year across two pathways: Release on Temporary Licence (RoTL) day release, and a dedicated pre-release support programme for Category C prisoners approaching the end of longer sentences.
The case for the programme is supported by compelling Ministry of Justice evidence. Offenders employed six weeks after release have a reoffending rate of 19.6%, compared with 37.3% for those who are unemployed – employment approximately halves the likelihood of reoffending. With reoffending estimated to cost the UK taxpayer £18.1 billion each year, every individual placed into stable employment represents both a life transformed and a measurable reduction in that burden.
Fox Group’s commitment to this work has already been formally recognised – the company received the Lancashire Skills Pledge award for ‘Employing Lancashire People’ specifically for its HMP Prison Service partnership.
A Single Programme, Multiple Pathways
Fox Worx now brings together a portfolio of connected initiatives; each designed to remove barriers to meaningful work and build careers within Fox Group and the wider region:
- HM Prison Service Partnership – RoTL day release and Category C pre-release support, with full-time employment offers on release.
- At-Risk Young People Programme – practical work placements alongside schooling for young people at risk of exclusion, feeding directly into apprenticeships.
- Schools & Education Engagement – from primary school HGV awareness with electric wagons, to secondary school careers talks and mock interviews, to subject-specific college and university sessions on sustainability and circular construction.
- Apprenticeships – Technical & Trades (HGV technician, welding and fabrication, plant maintenance) plus Office & Degree pathways.
Women in Construction – active recruitment and promotion of women at every level. - Employment Pathways – structured progression from entry-level training (HGV Class 2 bootcamp) through to specialist, highly-paid Low Loader driver roles.
- Community Partnerships & Social Value – over £500,000 of social value committed across awarded tenders, alongside local-to-operations charitable support including foundation sponsorship of Preston Grasshoppers Community Foundation.
- Armed Forces Covenant – ERS Bronze Award holder, actively working towards Silver.
Caroline Hurt, Fox Brothers (Leyland) Managing Director, Fox Group, said:
“Our HMP programme is the foundation of Fox Worx. The evidence is clear – employment halves reoffending while creating excellent, well rounded and loyal employees. By formalising what we do, we can scale it, share what works with our supply chain and customers, and create more second chances for the people who need them most.”
Zowi Whittaker, Group Sustainability and Environmental Director, Fox Group, added:
“Fox Group has been doing this work for decades. What Fox Worx does is bring it together – give it a name, give it a structure, and give our stakeholders and customers a clear way to engage with it. We believe that where someone starts should never define where they finish, and that the communities we work in should be better off for our presence. Fox Worx is how we deliver on that, every day.”
(Image – Fox Group)