 BEFRIENDING SERVICE Our volunteers have donated over 5,340 hours so far this year Since it was founded over 50 years ago New Bridge has recruited and trained volunteers to befriend and encourage men and women in prison who feel lonely, cut off, angry or depressed and want a listening ear, a non judgemental mind with which to engage or just news of the outside world. The first move will come from the prisoner who will have heard of New Bridge from other prisoners, staff, chaplains and Inside Time. Such prisoners are often serving long sentences and have no other connection with the outside world as family and friends have fallen away. Indeed, because volunteers promise to maintain contact with their client throughout their sentence and prisoners are frequently moved from prison to prison, the volunteer can become the only stable human relationship they have. New Bridge has 14 active volunteer support groups based in Bradford, Durham, Exeter, Liverpool, London (6 groups), Manchester, Weymouth, Winchester and Wolverhampton. In 2007, 188 volunteers travelled a total of 97,343 miles to make 901 visits and 6,342 letters were exchanged to 461 prisoners in 145 prisons and special hospitals in England and Wales. FOREIGN NATIONAL PRISONERS Foreign nationals, who now make up 14% of the overall prison population. There has been a 152% increase in foreign national prisoners in the last ten years, compared to a 55% increase in British nationals. Foreign Nationals inevitably have special difficulties with which to contend - of language and communication with staff and other prisoners, culture, great distances from family and friends and thus, of course, of loneliness and isolation. In HMP The Verne, the foreign national population is over 60% and this represents over 50 different nationalities. New Bridge volunteers with appropriate language skills, have been befriending non-English speaking prisoners for many years. Until recently many of these prisoners were Spanish speaking but with the changes in patterns of offending particularly of importation of illegal drugs there has been a sharp increase in numbers from Eastern Europe. New Bridge volunteers with the support of staff and a Service Level Agreement provide: Surgeries - One is held every week and is usually attended by upwards of 20 foreign national prisoners who need advice or assistance. Visits - Approximately more than thirty different foreign national prisoners are visited individually in the domestic visits area alongside other members of the public. For the prisoner, these domestic visits provide a break from routine, a chance to see people from outside, including women and children, and a boost to morale. Translation Service - From time to time volunteers are called upon to translate documents for the prison and act as interpreters during legal visits. Volunteers are also available to interpret during hospital visits. Race Relations Committee - A New Bridge representative sits on the prison's Race Relations Committee at which any relevant issues arising from the surgery or individual visits, can be raised. Letter Writing - Although not part of the Service Level Agreement with The Verne, some volunteers write to foreign national prisoners, not only in The Verne but also in other prisons, in the UK and abroad. During 2007 our volunteers committed 374 hours to helping Foreign National prisons in 598 appointments at the weekly surgeries. To donate now, please follow this link: www.bmycharity.com/new-bridge |