Premier Forest Products CEO to lead Newport initiative tackling homelessness through employment

Premier Forest Products CEO Terry Edgell has been appointed Chair of the New Employment Opportunities Network (NEON) Newport, a Homewards initiative that brings businesses together to tackle homelessness by creating employment opportunities

NEON Board Members

Homewards is a homelessness programme established by The Royal Foundation, the primary philanthropic and charitable vehicle for The Prince and Princess of Wales.

NEON brings together major employers, local businesses and public sector partners to create sustainable pathways into employment for vulnerable young people aged 16–24 who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.

Through access to jobs, apprenticeships, training and tailored support, the initiative helps individuals overcome barriers to work and build more secure, independent futures.

In his new role, Terry has established NEON’s Newport Board and is now recruiting local employers committed to opening up employment opportunities to young people who face barriers to entering the workforce.

The programme will also focus on helping individuals remain in work, recognising that sustainable careers – not simply jobs – are the true measure of success.

The appointment reflects Terry’s longstanding commitment to creating employment opportunities for people facing significant barriers to work, alongside Premier Forest’s pioneering approach to social responsibility. This includes its Corporate Parenting Programme, which offers paid work placements for care-experienced young people, and its prisoner rehabilitation programme.

Premier Forest’s involvement builds on initiatives already established across the business. Its Corporate Parenting Programme and wider rehabilitation work have created pathways into employment for care-experienced young people and people with convictions, without external funding or regulatory obligation.

This work attracted the attention of Homewards, which identified Premier Forest as an example of how businesses can create lasting social impact through employment.

Terry Edgell, CEO and Co-Founder of Premier Forest Products, said: “I’ve always believed business has a responsibility to leave its communities stronger than it found them.

“At Premier Forest we’ve never seen social responsibility as something separate from running a successful business. We’ve simply tried to give people opportunities where others might see obstacles, whether that’s supporting care-experienced young people, people leaving prison or those facing other barriers to employment.

“Being asked to chair NEON’s Newport Board is a real honour, but it’s also recognition of what Premier Forest has already achieved. We’ve shown that inclusive employment isn’t just possible, it works.

“Now the opportunity is to encourage more employers to do the same. If businesses across Newport each created just a handful of opportunities every year, together we could transform lives, strengthen our workforce and make a meaningful contribution to preventing homelessness.”

Businesses and organisations interested in supporting the initiative are encouraged to contact Terry Edgell to find out how they can get involved.

For more information on Premier Forest Products, see www.premierforest.co.uk.