Foundations 2 Change has the overall aim ‘to show men that a successful life outside of prison is possible’. It was founded by people who had been through the criminal justice themselves, and recognised that there were different ways to help people reintegrate back into society after being imprisoned. Much of its work is with repeat offenders, tackling the underlying issues that are the root cause of their offending behaviour. Foundations 2 Change works within the prison, delivering courses and rehabilitation workshops, and then helps the men as they come out of prison, meeting them at the gate, helping with accommodation, finding support and helping them make a new start.

Allen Lane has made a grant totalling £6,000 split equally over two years. The funding will help Foundations 2 Change to support men as they move back in the community. The organisation will help with setting up welfare benefits, bank accounts and other appointments, and introduce them to positive support networks that will aid their successful journey to recovery. Outcomes from the work are that on release the men will be supported into stable accommodation or rehabilitation; they will leave prison with the tools and confidence to live successfully; and that at least ten men will remain free of reoffending for at least 12 months after their release.

www.foundations2change.com

Gifted Women provide an employability programme centred around self-confidence, wellbeing and community engagement. It operates in and around Plymouth in the south west, and is a relatively new organisation, set up in 2020. Gifted Women aims to work with and benefit women who are experiencing multiple disadvantage. It supports women affected by a mix of complex issues such as substance misuse, trauma and a history of offending. The employability programme helps to build confidence, soft skills, networks and capabilities so that the women are better equipped to access and retain employment. Each cohort benefits up to 12 women over a six month period.

Allen Lane Foundation trustees agreed a grant at their June 2022 meeting. The funding of £5,000 will contribute towards the salary cost of a part-time coordinator. This role will manage the overall operations and support two project workers and nine volunteer peer mentors. Having a coordinator in post will enable the charity to profess into sustainability and growth and maximise the outputs and benefits for all the individual women engaged with its services.

www.giftedwomen.co.uk

This charitable organisation effectively operates as a social recruitment agency for people with convictions. It was established in mid-2020 and is based in Newcastle upon Tyne. Its overall aim ‘to see people with convictions re-discover as sense of purpose through work, and become role models who drive positive generational impact across their families’. The Recruitment Junction offers support and mentoring to individuals to help them re-work their CVs, practise interview skills etc, and become more job-ready. It provides both one-to-one support and guidance as well as group sessions. It also works with potential employers – in terms of job brokerage as well as advocacy, and also to understand any implications a risks involved when considering an individual’s criminal record.

At the June 2021 meeting, Allen Lane Trustees agreed a grant totalling £8,000, to be split equally in two instalments in 2021 and 2022. The funding is a contribution towards the salary costs of a recruitment consultant. The organisation aims to increase the number of people it can help and cover a wider area with this new post. In its first year it has worked with 200 people and placed 85 into paid employment.

www.therecruitmentjunction.com

Hertfordshire Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (HACRO) works from offices in St Albans and has been running for 45 years. It provides mentoring and courses that benefit people whilst in prison, and also in the community to aid the rehabilitation of ex-offenders. It works to support offenders’ families and also manages the Visitors Centre at HMP The Mount. Part of its work, particularly in prisons, has been restricted due to COVID regulations, and some moved online.

At the October 2020 Trustee meeting, the Foundation agreed a grant of £9,775 for HACRO. The funds will cover costs of running a programme called Caring Dads for men in the town of Broxbourne. This can be run either face-to-face or remotely depending on circumstances. The course will benefit fathers where allegations of domestic abuse have been made, and aims to improve parenting skills and prevent further damage to children. Around 16 men will benefit, along with their children, their children’s mother and any other partners and children the men may have now or in the future. This is because the participants’ attitudes and understanding of what behaviours are appropriate changes as they learn child-centred approaches to parenting.

www.hacro.org.uk

SWAP is based in Halifax, and offers a service to offenders leaving prison.  It works in close partnership with a range of other agencies, including supporting housing services that house the offenders it supports in a block of flats.  SWAP assists with resettlement on release, through advice, practical help, mental health support, social activities, and peer support.  The people it helps generally have multiple complex needs – primarily mental health issues, drugs/alcohol dependency, and a range of social and domestic problems.

At the Trustees’ meeting in June 2020, the Foundation offered a grant of £6,000 to SWAP.  This is to fund the Seeds of Change Project.  The Project aims to renovate two large unkempt gardens at the block of flats, and establish a working vegetable and herb garden.  A horticultural trainer will oversee the initial set-up and training of volunteers and residents, and when up and running it will be wholly maintained and run by residents and volunteers.  The gardening project will provide a useful, therapeutic and meaningful activity for residents, and help with community relations as people will see the work being done and the local area being improved and transformed.

www.safewelcomeafterprison.com