BEFRIENDING

Our volunteers donated over 8,050 hours during 2009.

Many prisoners do not receive any letters or visits. Most of us need someone to talk things over with - someone we can trust, who doesn't put labels on us, talks straight, stays in touch and doesn't make promises they can't keep. Our Befriending Service aims to support people in prison, by establishing and maintaining contact through letter writing and visiting.

The Befriending Service tends to attract prisoners who have limited or no contact with people in the outside world. These are usually prisoners who have committed the most serious offences and who are serving lengthy, life or indeterminate sentences.

New Bridge volunteers come from all walks of life and from various backgrounds. The men and women who undertake this work have a common desire to help people. They offer patience, warmth, empathy, dependability and understanding. They are mature, good listeners and able to cope with challenging situations.

Prisoners write to volunteers at the New Bridge address and New Bridge forwards these letters on to volunteers. Volunteers always contact prisoners with a view to eventually visiting them. That said, some prisoners decide they don't want visits and this is their choice. Volunteers do not give prisoners money or gifts and never divulge their address, phone numbers or personal details to prisoners.

Newly trained volunteers join a Befriending Support Group, that meets once a month. New Bridge currently has Support Groups in Birmingham, Bristol, Durham, Exeter, Hampshire, Leeds, Liverpool, London (x8), Manchester, Weymouth and Wolverhampton. Support Group Meetings provide a forum for volunteers to discuss the prisoners they are in contact with and to offer each other guidance and support. Continued accreditation as a New Bridge volunteer is dependent upon regular attendance at Support Group Meetings. Volunteers are entitled to claim for reasonable expenses incurred while carrying out their role. 

Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and are initially required to complete an application form. Two references are obtained for successful applicants, who are then invited for an interview. Following a successful interview, applicants must undergo an Enhanced CRB check and then attend a two-day Training Course and then two Support Group Meetings before they can start befriending a prisoner. This recruitment process can take several months. Applications are welcome from individuals who have a criminal record, however, they must be at least two years clear from Probation supervision or release from prison. Volunteers are required to commit to befriending a prisoner for a period of at least 18 months. Volunteers are encouraged to befriend more than one prisoner, which will involve writing approximately one letter every two weeks and visiting approximately once every three months (per prisoner). 

THIS VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITY IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THOSE WISHING TO GAIN ESSENTIAL WORK EXPERIENCE WITH PRISONERS. 

In 2009, 184 volunteers travelled a total of 138,216 miles to make 493 visits and 7,140 letters were exchanged to 397 prisoners in 145 prisons and special hospitals in England and Wales.

CASE STUDY: VISITING TALES