Directory

Our Achieve team supports offenders’ transition back into society through gainful employment, education or training – with the aim of helping to reduce reoffending and stop cycles of offending.
Achieve provides services to His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), individual prisons, and local government. We build strong partnerships and work closely with subcontractors to provide clear pathways for those we support.
We deliver CFO Evolution both in prisons and community locations across northwest England. We also provide an award-winning Careers Information, Advice and Guidance service in prisons in Lancashire and Cumbria, helping increase the number of prison leavers into employment by an impressive 300 per cent. Achieve also delivers GM ETE across 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester on behalf of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, as part of Greater Manchester Integrated Rehabilitative Services (GMIRS).
Achieve is part of Career Connect and as such benefits from the

Career Connect is a charity whose core business is the provision of all-age careers information, advice, guidance and support. We enable people to make realistic choices, based on sound information, to help them achieve their potential in learning, training and employment. Established in 2001, we deliver services across NW England providing: The National Careers Service across NW NOMS CFO Evolution contract for NW of England through our wholly owned subsidiary Achieve. We deliver a programme that prepares and supports offenders into employment with a 32% sustained outcome rate. Careers information, advice and guidance services for young people (formerly badged as Connexions) across Greater Merseyside and Salford. Unlocking Potential social impact bond funded programme to support 4200 young people with behavioural, moderate mental health and wellbeing issues prepare for and enter the world of work. We also have staff embedded in Trouble Families teams and an adviser in Hindley YOI.

Criminon UK is a registered charity delivering distance learning life skills courses in many UK prisons. We are members of LASER Learning Awards (formerly the Open College Network South East Region), and have four courses accredited. Our accredited course "Understanding and Overcoming Addiction", aligns with learning outcomes of the NOCN National Qualification Unit's 'Introduction to Drug Awareness', Level 1. Our other accredited courses deal with literacy at Entry Level 2 and Level 1 and a simple guide to better living and self-respect at Entry Level 2. Further life skills courses we offer deal with Parenting, Communication and Personal Integrity. We also offer a Mentor Course which gives the offender the skills to help others with their literacy and allows them to give something back, helping them achieve greater confidence and self-respect.

Geese Theatre Company is a team of professional theatre practitioners who present interactive drama and facilitate workshops, staff training and consultation in prisons, secure mental health settings, young offender institutions, and in the community with probation services, youth offending teams and related agencies. A registered charity based in Birmingham, Geese works throughout the UK and overseas and has gained an international reputation for innovative work with vulnerable and socially excluded groups, becoming widely acknowledged as one of the key organisations championing the role of arts in the criminal justice system and wider social welfare arena. Our work provides solutions to a range of criminogenic issues, primarily focussing on attitudes, thinking and behaviour and addressing themes such as domestic abuse, sexual offending, violence, resettlement, substance misuse and offending, self-efficacy, and employability.

Inside Time is a newspaper provided to every prison in the country. We also publish Inside Information, a comprehensive guide to prisons, legal fact sheets and support organisations for prisoners and their families.

Since 1962 the Koestler Awards have played a unique, national role in motivating prisoners, secure hospital patients and immigration detainees to take part in the arts. The Koestler Awards are simple and powerful – we reward achievement, build self-confidence and broaden horizons for some of society’s most disadvantaged and marginalised people.

Our work harnesses the uniquely transformative power of the arts to help individuals learn the skills and gain the confidence to live creative, positive and productive lives. Each year we receive more than 7,000 entries from over 3,500 entrants across the UK in 52 categories. More than 2,000 Awards are granted by over 100 esteemed judges, and each year culminates in a curated exhibition at Southbank Centre which showcases the incredible power of the arts to transform lives, as well as regular exhibitions and displays across the UK.

We also run an Arts Mentoring project partnering talented Koestler Award winners with professional artists.

New Bridge match people in prisons with trained volunteers who offer long-term support through a combination of correspondence and visits. This provides people in prison with a bridge to the outside world, along with an increased sense of value and potential for their future.

POPS is a user-led organisation, supporting families through their contact with the criminal justice system (CJS) as a result of a loved one’s conviction.

POPS’ work:
 strengthens & rebuilds family ties
 creates safe spaces for families & under-represented communities to speak out about issues affecting them
 increases public awareness of the impact of the CJS
 advocates for changes in public policy & commissioning.

POPS provides:
 Family Support Services at 14 prisons across the North-West/Yorkshire/Leicestershire;
 Community-based support for women through the Farida Women’s Centre (Oldham);
 Community-based support for people on probation and their families (Wellbeing Service - Greater Manchester);
 Prison & community-based education programmes;
 Community-based interventions for prisoners from BAME backgrounds;
 Advocacy & support for under-represented communities.

Our mission is to show Christ’s love to people in prison by coming alongside them and supporting them. We seek, through prayer and practical care, to help, support and develop a Christian ministry to people in prison and their families.

We do this through our network of over 2,500 volunteers. We are currently ministering in almost all of the 120 prisons in England and Wales.

The Prisoners' Advice Service provides free legal advice and representation to adult prisoners in England and Wales regarding their rights, and regardless of the individual prisoners' means. PAS aims to educate and empower prisoners regarding the law and their legal and human rights.

Since 1989, PET has supported prisoners to engage in rehabilitation through learning. We do this by providing distance learning courses, advice and support in subjects and levels not available in prisons. PET also promotes and argues the case for prisoner education, and undertakes research informed by prisoner learners, to improve policies and practice.

Release Mates is a growing team of rehabilitated prison leavers who support other people leaving prison in the immediate 3 - 5 hours after release. Whilst offering support with practical issues such as benefits, food, clothing, attending appointments, the team use their lived experience of recovery from addiction and navigating away from the revolving door, to trigger a motivation for positive change.

Restorative Solutions is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC) committed to enabling the use of innovative restorative approaches as a practical and cost-effective intervention for reducing harm or conflict.
We introduce restorative practices to organisations, volunteers and front line workers who are looking for a proven and worthwhile alternative to existing conventional approaches to reducing conflict, disputes, anti-social behaviour, bullying, crime and re-offending. We deliver bespoke, commissioned Restorative Justice services to organisations.

Samaritans provides confidential emotional support to prisoners, either by telephone or face-to-face. The organisation also selects, trains and supports prisoners, known as Listeners, to offer confidential, emotional support to their fellow-inmates.

Shannon Trust is a national charity supporting people in the criminal justice system to learn to read, and improve other basic skills. Currently, 62% of people that end up in prison either can't read or struggle to. Shannon Trust inspires and trains prisoners who can read to teach prisoners who can’t, so they're better set up for a positive future. We also support people in prison with basic maths.

In the community, we work with partner organisations supporting people to learn to read in the same peer-led way.

Our service operates in 12 prisons across the North West region. We offer prisoners a specialist housing, finance and debt advice and advocacy service; we also offer prisoners training courses in budgeting, dealing with debt, and housing rights. Jeff Holmes (Administrator, Shelter North West Regional Office) can also be contacted on 0344- 515 1670.

We are a national caseworking charity for serving and ex-service men and women and their families in times of need. We require only one day's paid service in the British Armed Forces to be eligible for our help. We try to offer emotional, practical and financial support. We have a network of trained volunteer case workers throughout the UK.

Established in 2000, Synergy Theatre Project works with prisoners, ex-prisoners and young people at risk, towards rehabilitation, through theatre and related activities, while placing the wider issues surrounding criminal justice in the public arena.

Skills for Justice is the Government-licensed Sector Skills Council for Justice and Community Safety, working with public, private and third-sector organisations to ensure that workforces (including volunteers) have the right skills now and for the future.

Unlock is an independent award-winning national charity that provides a voice and support for people with convictions who are facing stigma and obstacles because of their criminal record, often long after they have served their sentence.

Firstly, we help people. We provide information, advice and support to people with convictions, including running an information site and confidential peer-run helpline. We help practitioners support people with convictions by providing criminal record disclosure training. And we support employers and universities in treating people with criminal records fairly.

Secondly, we advocate for change, working at policy level to address systemic and structural issues. We listen to and consult with people with criminal records, undertake research and produce evidence-based reports to inform policy makers and the public. We challenge bad practice, influence attitudes and speak truth to power. We co-founded and support the Ban the Box campaign.