Shannon Trust

Our trustees play a significant part in the running of Shannon Trust, and their dedication and commitment means so much to us. To celebrate Trustees’ Week, Ian had a few words to say about the importance of our trustees. From all of us at Shannon Trust, thank you for everything you do. #TrusteesWeek

Are you interested in supporting people to learn to read? We have a couple of opportunities available where you could help us take our programmes to the next level in prisons. - Prison facilitator, HMP Bristol – closing 18 November - Prison facilitator/library assistant, HMP Ashfield – closing 22 November Join a dedicated team working towards a future where everyone can experience the positive impact of learning. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/emxibb-f

We have seen some great success with our Turning Pages Digital pilot in Hertfordshire probation recently. One of our learners told us how he feels his relationship with his daughter and grandchildren has improved, and he feels active in their lives as a result of his increased confidence in reading. This is so amazing to hear and just one of the reasons how learning to read can make a difference to someone’s life.

In this month’s edition of ‘Cheers to Volunteers’, we would like to introduce you to Miriam. Miriam has been volunteering with us for 2 years at HMP Swansea, and with a background of working in the criminal justice system, she knew she had a lot to bring to Shannon Trust. If you’re interested in providing training to people in prison to allow them to support people to learn to read, the prison volunteer role might be for you. Find out more about volunteering with Shannon Trust: https://lnkd.in/dNdujiGs

Are you a university student looking for a volunteer placement with a charity working in prisons? We have opportunities for people to work within prisons across London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex. As a student completing a placement with Shannon Trust, you will support the Shannon Trust staff team to successfully deliver our reading and numeracy programmes in your prison. The placement role requires a commitment of 4 to 6 hours on-site, completed on a single day, once a week. Hours between 8am to 5pm. We also require a minimum commitment of 60 hours during the placement. In return, you’ll receive the opportunity to attend ongoing training sessions and peer support meetings during your time as a volunteer to build your skills and experience. If you’re interested, find out more and apply: https://lnkd.in/e-YXtRMn Applications close Sunday 3 November.

We have been working closely with Via to deliver Turning Pages and Count Me In to the people they support in Barking and Dagenham. There have been so many positive and inspiring stories to come out of this already, including a 57 year old women who self-referred herself to the reading programme. She had zero confidence in her reading and writing abilities to start with, but alongside her reading coach, she could build on these fundamental skills and slowly begin to believe in herself. After working with her coach for over 6 months, and nearly finishing the full Turning Pages programme, she was able to secure her dream job as a hospital liaison officer, getting out of the cycle of working dead end jobs that she found soul destroying. We are so proud of her achievements, and it shows the real difference learning to read can have on someone’s life. Find out more about our partnership with Via: https://lnkd.in/eeDAqFmt

We love hearing about learners who start to find joy in words and reading 💙

ADHD is estimated to be 10 times more common in prisons than in the general population, but it is largely underdiagnosed. This means people in prison don’t receive the care and support they need. We tailor our programmes to each learner, ensuring they can learn in the best way that works for them, regardless of if they are neurodivergent. #ADHDAwarenessMonth

We took a summer break on One Page, but our CEO is back with his latest update on why there needs to be more investment in prison literacy and numeracy programmes. There is a lot of uncertainty for charities working in the criminal justice system at the minute, with there being less financial support with the new prison education service contracts. We have made significant progress with our programmes over the last couple of years, but we can only continue to grow if we have some certainty about future funding. Read Ian’s thoughts on why putting more funding into programmes like ours is a no-brainer. Don’t forget to subscribe to One Page so you are the first to be notified when a new post is live.

Having ADHD can make it harder to thrive in traditional education settings. People with ADHD often find it difficult to stay focused, are easily distracted and find it difficult to process information. All of this can make learning quite difficult. The flexibility of our programmes means people with ADHD, or other learning difficulties, can find the best way to learn for them, with short sessions, no exams and one to one support. It’s really important to recognise when someone might need additional help with their learning. At Shannon Trust, we’re working hard to understand the needs of our learners more and more, and developing our programme to fit each individual. #ADHDAwarenessMonth