Judy Andrea Roach (54), from Thamesmead, south London, was the sole director of JAR Training Consultancy Limited. The company, incorporated in September 2015, partnered with further education colleges, and provided training to apprentice sports coaches in the Blackburn area.

JAR Training Consultancy, however, entered into creditors voluntary liquidation in March 2021 and the company’s insolvency triggered an investigation by the Insolvency Service.

Following support from the Education and Skills Funding Agency, who shared information with the Insolvency Service, investigators uncovered that Judy Roach failed to ensure that JAR Training Consultancy maintained and/or preserved adequate accounting records throughout the life of the company.

This meant that investigators could not verify what happened to more than £2.5 million worth of public funds secured through the Education and Skills Funding Agency.

Unsubstantiated payments included £1.77 million paid to tutors and assessors, more than £171,000 paid to Judy Roach’s family members, and just over £41,000 paid to a contractor who carried out building work to Judy Roach’s home.

On 13 July 2022, the Secretary of State accepted a 7-year disqualification undertaking from Judy Roach after she did not dispute that she failed to ensure JAR Training Consultancy maintained and/or preserved adequate accounting records or in the alternative she failed to deliver up adequate records to the liquidators.

Effective from 3 August 2022, Judy Roach is banned from directly, or indirectly, becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court.

JAR Training Consultancy’s liquidator is considering the recovery of funds.

Mark Bruce, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:

Every limited company has a legal duty to maintain accounting records, especially those that receive millions of pounds worth of public funding. Judy Roach, however, totally disregarded her duties, which meant she was unable to explain exactly what happened to more than £2.5 million of income provided by the government.

Thanks to the joint working between the Education and Skills Funding Agency and the Insolvency Service, Judy Roach has been removed from the corporate arena for a substantial period. Her ban should serve as a stark warning to other rogue directors that action will be taken against those who misuse public funds and abuse the taxpayer.

Howard Tobias, Head of Enforcement at the Education and Skills Funding Agency, said:

I am pleased to note the success of this new joint working between the Insolvency Service and ESFA. Failing to keep or deliver up books and records will not preclude the directors of such companies from further scrutiny and sanction. This outcome demonstrates that the ESFA is prepared to take robust action and we will work with regulatory partners across government to hold them to account.

Judy Andrea Roach is from Thamesmead, London, and her date of birth is November 1967.

JAR Training Consultancy Limited (Company Reg no. 09787821).

Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings. Persons subject to a disqualification order are bound by a range of other restrictions.

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available.

You can also follow the Insolvency Service on:

The scheme, being run at HMP Hewell in Worcestershire, is part of a landmark trial between the prison and farming technology company, LettUsGrow, that will see prisoners grow leafy greens, salad and herbs in high-tech ‘vertical’ farms.

Vegetables are grown in compact towers using aeroponics using an air or mist environment rather than soil.

At the forefront of farming, this advanced technology produces more plants, more quickly and with 98 percent less water than conventional methods.

Most importantly, the scheme will train prisoners up in the jobs of the future, such as farm management software, plant science and food safety. This will help them find a job on release in new and emerging technologies and dramatically reduce their chances of reoffending.

This is just the latest move in the government’s strategy to make sure prisoners use their time behind bars to get the skills they need to find work once through the gate and back home.

Prisons Minister Stuart Andrew MP:

This innovative scheme is just the tip of the iceberg in our drive to equip prisoners with the practical skills they need to get a job on release – ultimately cutting crime and keeping the public safe.

Up there with education, family ties and addiction treatment, stable work holds the key to a life free from crime and safer communities for us all.

Ralph Lubowski, Governor of HMP Hewell:

I am delighted to partner with Lettus Grow in this fantastic initiative, which will give our prisoners the opportunity, confidence and training to turn their lives around.

Vertical farming is an innovative, emerging industry and this partnership highlights our commitment to ensuring that prisoners are skilled up to find work on release.

The latest figures show the number of former offenders in work six weeks after release has increased by nearly half, whereas proven reoffending has fallen to just over 25 percent – making huge progress in tackling the £18 billion cost of repeat offending and keeping the public safe.

Notes to editors

• The latest statistics from the Ministry of Justice show that the proportion of persons released from custody who were employed at 6 weeks from their release rose by 6 percentage points to 16 per cent between April 2021 and March 2021. This is an increase of more than half (57 per cent).
• New data shows that over the last 10 years, proven reoffending has decreased from 30.9 percent (2009/10) to 25.6 percent (2019/20).
• The Prisons White Paper – the Deputy Prime Minister’s strategy to reduce reoffending and keep the public safe – puts a laser-sharp focus in getting prisoners into work both behind bars and on release.
• Learn more about LettUsGrow here

Oxfordshire’s world-leading solutions to reaching net zero

• Inaugural OX to ZERO summit to demonstrate how Oxfordshire is leading the global charge in addressing the climate emergency
• September 1 event at The Blavatnik founded by University of Oxford, Harwell, UK Atomic Energy Authority and OxLEP to help accelerate net zero transition
• Programme includes experts in fusion energy, transport, storage, systems, CO2 removal and innovation, with virtual tickets at oxtozero.com

A new one-day summit at The Blavatnik School of Government will showcase how Oxfordshire leads the global charge in addressing the climate emergency.

OX to ZERO unites the county’s most innovative thinkers, investors and entrepreneurs exploring the potential of new ideas, technologies, and companies to accelerate the net zero transition.

Curated by founding partners the University of Oxford, Harwell, UK Atomic Energy Authority and OxLEP, the September 1 programme includes thought leaders in fusion energy (Tokamak Energy, First Light Fusion), transport (YASA, ARRIVAL), storage (Johnson Matthey, Faraday), systems (Low Carbon Hub, SSE), CO2 removal (Oxford Net Zero, OUI) and innovation (STFC, Cleantech).

Keynote speakers include ocean advocate Emily Penn and Simon Mundy, Moral Money editor at the Financial Times and author of climate change book Race for Tomorrow.

Chas Bountra, University of Oxford, said: “After the pandemic, the climate emergency will potentially destroy even more lives, make parts of the world uninhabitable, and produce irreversible changes to our surroundings. OX to ZERO provides an insight into how the Oxford ecosystem is once again pulling together to take on the biggest challenge facing our planet. I hope we can create hope and solutions for humanity.”

Sebastian Johnson, OxLEP, said: “Oxfordshire has a history of delivering pioneering solutions to the world’s greatest challenges. The expertise and desire that exists in the county can be a critical driver to tackling the climate emergency head-on, at pace. OX to ZERO will showcase further solutions that can drive the world towards a zero-carbon future.”

Tim Bestwick, UKAEA and Harwell, said: “OX to ZERO will showcase the big ideas and solutions that, coupled with investment and supported by Oxfordshire’s innovation ecosystem, can make an important impact on the sustainable future of our planet.”

OX to ZERO will feature experts from a variety of fields dedicated to supporting the drive towards a zero-carbon future, including more leading figures from green finance, business and academia. It will also be one of the first opportunities worldwide to watch Star Makers: The Energy of Tomorrow, a new documentary about the fusion energy record achieved on the Joint European Torus at Culham Science Centre.

Numbers are limited for the in-person event, with virtual tickets and more information available at oxtozero.com.

Thank you President, and my thanks go to the representatives from the UAE and others who called this important Council session.

The United Kingdom joins fellow Council Members in welcoming the ceasefire in Gaza announced last night. We express our thanks to Egypt, Qatar and the office of UN Special Coordinator, Tor Wennesland, for their mediation efforts. We now urge all parties to do their utmost to ensure the ceasefire is durable and prevents further violence.

These last few days we have once again seen tragic scenes in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

We strongly condemn the firing of over 1,100 rockets at civilians by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the ongoing campaign of terror attacks by the group, which has resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians, Israelis and Palestinians alike.

As my Foreign Secretary has been clear, the UK stands by Israel and its right to defend itself in the face of such terrorism and violence.

The United Kingdom expresses its deepest condolences to the families of innocent Palestinian civilians killed over the past three days, particularly the tragic deaths of children. The UK supports a timely and thorough investigation into all of these reports. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the cycle of violence, have taken too many lives.

We remain deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including lack of movement and access, damage to civilian infrastructure, and critical supplies, such as fuel for power plants to supply electricity, including for hospitals. We welcome Israel’s announcement that it is allowing humanitarian aid through to Gaza.  Immediate access for humanitarian relief is essential, and we expect that the ceasefire agreement will now allow for prompt restoration of movement and access for people and goods via the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings.

This escalation is yet another reminder of the urgent need for progress towards a Two State solution that ensures a safe and secure Israel, living alongside a Palestinian state based on 1967 lines, with Jerusalem the shared capital of both states.