Blog

I feel quite nervous about today – it seems odd to think we won’t be back in here again soon – although we are sure it will be temporary it is sad. The comments I got yesterday as I walked the wings bear testimony to the high regard for the course from men who have completed it. I bumped into “Pete� who did the course more than a year ago and has made such progress – including in his personal self confidence and belief in what he can achieve – he is still working on the prison radio making programmes – a man who had told me he wasn’t sure he could complete the work book at the start of his course. For him one of the benefits was simply the discipline of writing up his work each week and realising that he had not been so hopeless after all.
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I went in to see Bob – now relieved of the tooth that caused the ache last week! I was concerned that having missed as session he would find engaging with the final session today difficult.
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Did I say how last week we all left on a high feeling as though we had the men with us – getting the concepts and more importantly getting it for themselves…well week 5….first we arrived to find one of the men had been transferred elsewhere and another was at a meeting the Governor about a project that could not be missed and Bob has tooth ache and had refused to come out of his cell.
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I am sure the rule for blog writing is to keep it as short as possible ….apologies! You will have to accept this one as a reflective diary.
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A week with huge expectations: we have three visitors coming with us. Ann (not her real name) a young lady, victim of a robbery, whose car was violently attacked while she was in it and whose bags were stolen and Ray and Vi, whose son Christopher was murdered by a gang of violent youths high on alcohol and drugs. Ann and Ray and Vi are effectively surrogate victims for the men - a taster, in a group, of the experience of a victim – offender conference or mediation.
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Two new faces joined us today: replacing the prisoner who had been at an immigration hearing and who will be sent home and another who, despite the hold which is meant to keep him with us for the course, has been moved. Both new men are keen to be with us which is encouraging and should mean they will catch up.
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The first session is on a cold spring afternoon and having gathered outside the prison gate we file through security checking in our ID and then gather in the waiting area – introducing ourselves to the one new team member. We probably all recall that slight nervousness on the first time we joined the course. I wonder if G feels it?
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This week has been busy with visits to sign up men for the Sycamore Tree course starting on Tuesday next week. This is to to be the final course for the time being in this London prison.
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Let me start by apologising that I haven’t posted a blog entry for a couple of weeks. I have been unwell and had some time off (cue sympathy). Due to my unscheduled time off I have been particularly busy since my return (insert more sympathy here). Nevertheless I am here now and I have much to talk to you about, starting with the cricket.
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As I type this week’s blog entry I am sitting in our new office in London. As I do I am reminded that things change. Often they change on a timescale not to our liking but they change nevertheless. For example, I had a foot-long sub in front of me just a few minutes ago and now I do not. Change is necessary and it will affect us all. Beyond the changes in the condition of my lunch, I face changes in my working situations as well. Charities the length and breadth of the country are facing increasingly difficult times due to the financial situation, and Prison Fellowship are not exempt from these pressures. This is why we are re-locating our central support office.
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