Fine Cell Work

Wow, 2024 - what a year! We'll be sharing our highlights later this week, but before we do, we wanted to shine a light on the powerful image featured in our Christmas in Prison newsletter. Captured by Laurence Ellis for a recent feature in More or Less magazine, the photograph is a life-size aerial view of a two-man prison cell, represented by the Cell Quilt. Designed by a Fine Cell Work volunteer and stitched in prison, the quilt is exact to the last detail and portrays the reality of life in prison. ⁠ This tiny space, measuring 11ft x 8ft, is one in which two men are confined together in during 'bang up', spending up to 23 hours a day, eating, reading, washing and using the toilet in each other’s company. As one stitcher remarks, 'the problem with Christmas in prison is more bang up than normal. We're banged up at 5pm on Christmas Eve, then only put on Christmas Day from 9.30am to 3.30pm. It's the same on Boxing Day, and again at New Year. All the workshops are closed, so there is nothing to do.' By providing meaningful, paid work for stitchers, that can be done in their cells, Fine Cell Work are able to offer a little welcome respite. As our stitcher says, 'the beauty of having Fine Cell Work is that you don't think about the bang up, and you can be productive with that time.' As many of us return to our regular routines after the holidays, life for people in prison continues. It costs Fine Cell Work £500 to support one stitcher for a whole year. Starting the year by making a donation to Fine Cell Work will enable us to help more people to rebuild their lives - to build a non-criminal identity.⁠ You can make a one-off or a regular donation to support our work here: https://lnkd.in/ezMjTd2B ⁠ ⁠#finecellwork #prisonrehabilitation #prisoncharity #socialenterprise

Our Big Give Arts for Impact campaign is running until 25th March. Any donation you make through the campaign will be matched by the Big Give Trust, meaning that the impact of your donation will be doubled. Donate here: https://lnkd.in/e7b83C9W The Wandsworth Prison quilt was commissioned by the Victoria and Albert Museum, and in the second part of our video, Fine Cell Work’s Founding Director Katy Emck focuses in on the details of the design, and curator Sue Pritchard discusses the quilt’s legacy. We also hear some words from a stitcher who worked on the quilt, which illustrates the importance of this work. Funds raised from our Arts for Impact campaign will support our commissions work, which gives our stitchers the opportunity to work on heritage pieces with a lasting legacy. We hope you enjoy hearing the story behind the quilt’s creation, and we’d love it if you could share the video with anyone you think might enjoy it. #finecellwork #prisoncharity #prisonarts #prisonrehabilitation #artsforimpact #heritagecrafts

Our Big Give Arts for Impact campaign is now live. Support the campaign until 25th March, and your donation will be matched by the Big Give Trust, doubling your impact. We're raising funds to support our vital commissions work, which gives our most advanced stitchers the opportunity to hone their artisan stitching skills and fuel their creativity. The Wandsworth Prison Quilt, commissioned by the V&A Museum, is one of our most ambitious commissions to date. In this video, curator Susan Prichard explains how the commission came about, while Fine Cell Work's Founding Director Katy Emck OBE talks about the inspiration for the design, and the stitchers who brought it to life. We'll be sharing a second video tomorrow, diving deeper into the individual pieces that make up the design, and looking at the quilt's legacy. You can donate to our Arts for Impact campaign here: https://lnkd.in/eaeZb25B #finecellwork #biggive #artsforimpact #prisoncharity #prisonarts #prisonrehabilitation #heritagecrafts

Our @biggiveorg Arts for Impact campaign launches at midday GMT tomorrow ⏰️! Running for a week until 25th March, The Big Give Trust will double your donation when you donate to Fine Cell Work through the campaign. We have a matched funding pot of £5,000 from the Big Give so the first £5,000 we raise through the online campaign will be doubled, giving us £10,000. But our aim is to raise twice that. Any funds raised will go towards supporting our commissions work, to training people in prison to be highly skilled artisans under the guidance of experienced embroiderers. Keep your eyes peeled this week for some in-depth dives into some of our most fascinating commissions 👀... https://lnkd.in/eeFAwX3x #prisonarts #artsforimpact #biggive #prisonrehabilitation #heritagearts #heritagecrafts #needlepoint #embroidery

Our new Meet The Volunteer feature is a great way for us to introduce our supporters to some of the amazing volunteers who devote their time to delivering our front line services. We could not do what we do without their hard work, dedication and skill. We caught up with Janice, a former primary school teacher and textile enthusiast who delivers needlework training to Fine Cell Work stitchers in prison, to find out more about her role - as well as her own creative interests and background. Head over to the blog now to find out more about Janice and to find out what it's like to volunteer for Fine Cell Work: https://lnkd.in/eJ_7R4rA 📷️ 1 - Janice's crazy hand-embroidered patchwork piece, as exhibited at her stitching group exhibition 📷️ 2 - Janice's bojagi blocks, ready to be made into a picnic blanket 📷️ 3 - Janice's most prized possession - her Fine Cell Work Pineapple Cushion on her sofa

“Ten years ago I felt I’d lost everything, but today, I am a self-employed seamstress, and I also have a part-time job. When my time at Open the Gate ended, with the help of the team, and a grant from Fine Cell Work, I set myself up with a sewing room at home, and began to make my own products, which I sell through a shop on Etsy. I am completely financially independent, claiming no benefits. Fine Cell Work gave me the tools I needed to reach this point. I am very very grateful." ~ Karen, Fine Cell Work graduate Leaving prison can be a very overwhelming experience, which is why programmes like Fine Cell Work’s #OpenTheGate are crucial for supporting women post-release. You can help us to #AccerlateAction this International Women’s Day by making a donation to support our work 🙏: https://lnkd.in/e9A7ddER #IWD2025 #AccelerateAction #handstitched #FineCellWork #design #embroidery #needlework #handembroidered #stitched #handmade #prisons #charity #socialenterprise #interiordesign #goodcause #handmadegifts #prisonarts #ethical #creative #embroidered #craft #rehabilitation

Today is International Women's Day ✨️. About 12,000 women are sent to prison in the UK every year, twice as many as 20 years ago. Women released from prison are nearly three times less likely to be in employment on release than men (Prison Reform Trust, Working it Out, 2020). At the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158 - roughly five generations from now - to reach full gender parity (data from the World Economic Forum). This is true for women involved in the criminal justice system - on average, women released from prison earn 33.2% less than men. We have worked with double the number of women in 2024 than we did in 2023 and have recently established a customised workshop space at a women's prison in Surrey. A donation of any size will help us to continue supporting rehabilitation with programmes that assist with work-preparedness, both in and out of prison🙏: https://lnkd.in/e9A7ddER #IWD2025 #AccelerateAction #handstitched #FineCellWork #design #embroidery #needlework #handembroidered #stitched #handmade #prisons #charity #socialenterprise #interiordesign #goodcause #handmadegifts #prisonarts #ethical #creative #embroidered #craft #rehabilitation

A very encouraging and insightful blog by a barrister from Red Lion Chambers Chambers who attended our event 'The Reality of Imprisonment': https://lnkd.in/eA3SriVa

Our Studio Sale starts TOMORROW and is on ALL WEEKEND 🎉! We're opening our doors at 10am tomorrow and will be offering some incredible savings on a selection of exquisitely hand-stitched cushions, accessories and more! Come and explore our stitchers' beautiful work in-person and walk away with a few Fine Cell Work classics! We hope to see you there! Friday 7th March, 10am - 5pm Saturday 8th March, 10am - 4pm Sunday 9th March, 11am - 3pm 📍 190-192 Queenstown Road, London, SW8 3NR. Nearest tube: Battersea Power Station #design #embroidery #needlepoint #needlework #handembroidered #stitched #handmade #prisons #charity #socialenterprise #handstitched #interiordesign #goodcause #handmadegifts #prisonarts #ethical #finecellwork #creative #embroidered #craft #prisonrehabilitation #prisonreform⁠ #studiosale #thingstodoinlondon

With just two days to go, we're counting down the days until our Studio Sale 🛍️! With prices starting at just £10, you'll find a range of beautifully embroidered and needlepoint items to suit all budgets. Doors open at 10am THIS FRIDAY! We hope to see you there! Friday 7th March, 10am - 5pm Saturday 8th March, 10am - 4pm Sunday 9th March, 11am - 3pm 📍190-192 Queenstown Road, London, SW8 3NR. Nearest tube: Battersea Power Station #design #embroidery #needlepoint #needlework #handembroidered #stitched #handmade #prisons #charity #socialenterprise #handstitched #interiordesign #goodcause #handmadegifts #prisonarts #ethical #finecellwork #creative #embroidered #craft #prisonrehabilitation #prisonreform⁠ #studiosale #thingstodoinlondon