Restoring Broken Walls Trust is a local charity set up by a small group of Christians in 2003 in Doncaster and centred around HMP Doncaster. Three of the Trustees are chaplains at HMP Doncaster. The motto of the Trust has always been “responding swiftly to urgent need” and from its early days the trustees sought to be there to help prisoners and ex-prisoners with urgent requests such as for clothing, emergency accommodation, travel and food. As we watched men coming out of prison we realized that there was a vital gap between leaving prison and receiving help from statutory bodies or larger charities. This gap in provision meant that many men would slip up over seemingly small issues and find themselves back in prison.

We applied for funding to employ two part-time mentors to support prisoners on release and we have been delighted to see the prison widening this idea in employing a full-time outreach worker.

We have moved on to rent out a small shop in a busy downtown part of Doncaster. The Hope Centre is a contact point for the many rootless people in Doncaster, a large proportion have been in the criminal justice system.

 

The other RBW scheme which has started this year has been a horticultural one where we have supplied part-time jobs for ex-offenders on a large derelict allotment near to the town centre. Over the last three months it has supplied 130 vegetable boxes to local church supporters and has delivered 12 consignments of organic vegetables to the staff canteen at the prison. We hope to see this scheme expand next year.

More details about Restoring Broken Walls Trust can be obtained by emailing Philip Ireson or by ringing 01302 763211

Left: Deputy Director Vicky Read receives the first produce from the Plot.