Terry Edgell, CEO of vertically integrated timber operation Premier Forest Products, has been appointed chair of the New Employment Opportunities Network (NEON) Newport, a Homewards initiative that brings businesses together to help tackle homelessness by creating employment opportunities.
Homewards is the 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 young, vulnerable people aged 16-24 who are experiencing, or who are 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 the role, Terry has established NEON’s Newport board and is now recruiting for local employers who are committed to opening their hiring processes to young people who face barriers to employment. The programme will also focus on ensuring those individuals remain in work, recognising that sustainable careers – not simply jobs – are the measure of success.
The appointment recognises both Terry's longstanding commitment to creating employment opportunities for people facing significant barriers to work and Premier Forest's pioneering approach to social responsibility, particularly through its Corporate Parenting Scheme – which offers paid work placements for care-experienced young people – and prisoner rehabilitation programme.
Terry Edgell, CEO and co-founder of Premier Forest Products, says: "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."
