Recent grants to individuals have been for:
Training for jobs and qualifications
Nearly two thirds of UK prisoners had no qualifications and no job before their sentence. The Fund gives grants for appropriate vocational courses.
*Dave was unqualified and had been floating round on a building site as a casual labourer. Thanks to the Fund he is now a qualified tower crane driver in regular employment.
Clothes
Most prisoners come out owning only the clothes they are wearing, which may no longer even fit, let alone be appropriate for a job interview or family occasion.
*Nikki had been in treatment for six months. She had two children and had had a very difficult childhood. When her grandmother died she was able to buy a suit and shoes for the funeral as well as everyday wear. It was an external indication of what tremendous progress she was making in her life, and empowered her to join in a family event.
Tools of trade
In many jobs it is essential to have your own tools and equipment – which the State does not provide.
*The Fund’s grants for tools enabled two young ex-prisoners to resume their jobs as electrician’s mate and plasterer