Russell Brand is donating a not-for-profit cafe he opened last year to a charity which supports ex-prisoners and people struggling with addiction.

The comedian joked that he hoped the move might secure him a “cushy job in the library” if he ever ended up in jail.

The Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust, known as RAPt, described the donation as a “wonderful opportunity” for them to boost their work.

Russell Brand at the opening of the cafe (Nick Ansell/PA)

Russell, who is patron of the charity, launched the Trew Era Cafe on the New Era estate in Hoxton, east London, more than a year ago, hailing it as a “fully self-supporting, new economic enterprise”.

The cafe, which fuses the estate’s name with that of Russell’s YouTube show, The Trews, will become one of RAPt’s so-called recovery enterprises, which are staffed and managed by recovering addicts.

The cafe being donated (Nick Ansell/PA)

David Bernstein, RAPt chairman of trustees, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for RAPt to further strengthen our employment and enterprise activities for ex-offenders and recovering addicts.

“We’re enormously grateful to Russell for his generosity in donating the cafe.”

Russell said: “I’m donating this cafe to RAPt – a great charity that helps prisoners stay clean. If I ever get sent down I hope this’ll mean I get a cushy job in the library.”