PRISON FELLOWSHIP NORTHERN IRELAND DIRECTORS. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 NIARCH 2024 The directors present their annual report and financial ststements for the year ended 31 March 2024. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply wth the charity's Memorandum and Arbcles of Association, the Companies Act 2006 and "Accounting and Reporting by Charities.. Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charthes preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)". Objectives and activities The work of PFNI is govemed by six thartlable objecttves: 1. Infom. support. challenge and encourage adults and young people who are, or have been, in tawful custody. by means of educational and other programmes. individual support. group aGts"vities, practical help and other measures. 2. Challenge and encourage those who afe, or have been. in lawful custody to reflect on Iheir past attitudes and actions and on the individuals and groups who may have been victims of their crimes, the aim being to help bring about a change in thin'ng and lrfestyle. 3. Help to maintsin and strengthen the links been those vtho are, or have been, in lawful custody end their spouses. partners, parents, children. siblings and other family members and to help and suptM)rt those family members where desirable and possible. through practical help. advice and other measures. 4. Support and encourage Prison Govemors. Chaplains and Officers, and other staff, in their efforts to maintain and develop regimes which will assist towards the rehabilitation of offenders and the protection of society. 5. Assist the process of assimilating back into society Ihose who are or have been in law1 custody. 6. Promole greater recognib.on of the effects of crime on those who have been ts victims, whether directly or indirectly, and on society. In pursuing these objectives, the charity seeks to reflect and encourage Christian beliets, principles and values. The directors have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deGTrding what activities the charity should undertake. During the year ended 31 March 2024, PFNI'S principal activities vre. Providing vistslion. befriending, and opportunities for practical. emottonal and spiritual support to adults and young people while in lawful custody and after release. Offering care. support and hope to families of those who are in lawful custody andlor after their release from prison. Delivering our restorative justice programme (Sycamore Tree) to challenge the ¢)fferKler of the efft5 of crime both on the victim and the vder community. Working in partnership with agenctes wtho work within the Criminal JustÉce system. Encouraging the publi¢ to be aware of the issues faced by released prisoners to prevent re-offending.
PRISON FELLOWSHIP NORTHERN IRELAND DIRECTORS. REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 Achievements and perf0mnCe Setvices to people in lawful custody and afterrelease Through regular visits to.. Maghaberry - the high-securty prison housing adutt men: Magilligan - the medium-security facility housing adult men and offering lovfvsecurity accommodation for selected pnsoners nearing the end of their sentence.. Hydebank Wood College - houses (a) young people befvn the ages 18 - 21 and (b) Ash House for female remand and sentenced prisoners. 6,951 visits were conducted to 2.414 individuals with: 1,992 visits to 689 men in Maghabery. 3,965 visits to 1,043 men in Magilligan. 121 visits to 95 young people in Hydebank Wood College, and 673 visits to 168 women in Ash House 6 Lifesplan meetings are held each week in the three prisons, and these are fvrther Complemented by a week of special meetings held in Magilligan during the month of May. Prisons We have been sUppOng a woman who has been in custody for a significant period of time and whose joumey very clearly demonstrates how PFNI is making a difference in individuals, lives. We were able to walk alongside her from committal until release. This was challenging at the beginning as she struggled to Irust anyone and took a long time to engage with us. bui once she did. she began to sh&e and open up and by Ihe time of release she had seen our member ot staff on a regular basis during her time in cust¢xty. Not only had she had one to one visits. she also was abte to complete SyGamore Tree course and engaged in 'Yarn°, our knitting group. when tl was running. Alongside the support she received, she has a dose family mernber in custody and he has also completed Sycamore Tree, he also receyves regular support from our prison staff and volunteers in prison. Our Family Worker regularfy visits with a member of her family on the outside and has been a great support to them. this person attends support groups and was present at the Christmas dinner. Following release, we were able to put Aftercare support in pla for this lady. with yet another member of PFNI staff, who met her and began that support the day after she was released from ¢ust¢>Jy. This family has benefftted from our Christmas Hope project over the years. and I believe are a clear example of the wrap-around care that is available from PFNI and the difference such care makes. Sycamore Tree During the year we delivered 9 Sycamore Tree programmes in the three prisons, as well as wth the students in Hydebank Wood College and a group of men in Burren House. 110 Participants commenced the course with 102 obtaining qualrfication. We deliver this with a team of three trained facilitators plus a team of 17 volunteers. The course wth the women in Hydebank was the first female course that had run in several yèars. It was a particularly challenging course due to the range of offences comrnitted by the women in attendan. Aongside several life sentence prisoners and those serving a significant amount of time in custody. we also had women who were deemed *ulnerable' by the prison staff due to the offenS they had committed. These women at that stage did not mix with the rest of the prison population, so putting them into a Classroom Yrds a bit of a risk. However. they managed to be part of the group for the six weeks, and even integrated wth the other women to some extent
PRISON FELLOWSHIP NORTHERN IRELAND DIRECTORS. REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 The highlight of that course for the faciliktor was during the final session on week six, the ladies received their certificates along wth the other women in the class and when their names were called out. the other ladies clapped for them. This may sound lTri e a small thing, but it was truly massive, mostly for the three women who had been so nervous to attend the course to begin wth. "I was truly humbled" when a Senior Officer commentsd, that 'Nobody but Joanne could have done that." Kind words. but truthfully it vras God alone who brought unity in that room. Aftercare Our Aftercare work is primarity carried out on an indp4idual basis and through group acaivities and regular activities at the PF Centre in Belfast with the help of supporters, volunteers and staff. During the year under review the Centre was closed for refurbishment. We offer help and support with homelessness, suicide and self- ham. poverty. addiction, unemployTnent, beneffts, education, soaal exdusion, loneliness, transport, medical services and resettlernent into the communty. We provided support to 38 individuals. That included". 553 individuals were visited. Fonner prisonets received practical support induding assistance Trmth securing accomm¢)dation, provision of transport to attend appointrnents, provision of fijmiture and advice. 'Voices of Hope. continued to meet and choir practices were held on Friday. There are 8 choir memLErs made up of rnen v4ho are former prisoners and Iwo staff. During the year. they attended 8 events around the country. Just before Christmas the Offi reiVed a call out of hours. A rnessage was left on the answering machine. There was no name or contact detsils left. Just a message- Is there anyone there? Our Administrator thought she recognised the man's voice. a younger man from a few years ago. She remernbed that he had known the Aftercare worker and immediately got in touth Ihe stsff member. The aftercare worker vras very unsure, no way it could be him. We had not heard from him for several years. in fact the last time he saw him mentioned was an apFeal from the PSNI for a missin9 man - several months before. That evening, sitti.ng on his bed, our Aftercare worker prayed and phoned an old number he had. A man answered the phone. a whisper. but the worter knew immediately it was him. Quickly, in case the call would end, the aftercare worker got the contact details. By the end of the week, we had visited him in his home. Provided food and repairs to the man's flaL The man had been released from prison several months earlier. been assaulted and in hiding - hence the PSNI alert. The man said he had nobody even his own family had tumed on him - so he remembered Prison Fellowship- he phoned the office and left a message - but didn't think there was anyone the and didn't expect a call back. He was facing many difficulties. and the aftercare worker has been able to help him prioritise and offer practical help along the byay. There are several supporknve churches in the area and he began to go to church every Sunday- he has even Joined a gym- a local Chrisban man Is a Physical Training Instructor. Our worker helped him reengage with PBNI and attend several court hearings. He is now off tsg and finished his house arrest. He has recommenced community service. which is of course at a nearby churchl It is stll a long road for him. bLrt we are very glad he called that day. and we are very glad that Christine in the office never forgets a face or a voice.
PRISON FELLOWSHIP NORTHERN IRELAND DIRECTORS, REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 Female Aftercare Our Female aftercare worker first met a Suzzie" in Hydebank many years ago when she regulady attIded 'Lifesplan'. the weekly Bible study. She was a repeat offender who was frequently in and out of prison struggling th addidions - alcohol, drugs and the)t Suzzie is an enthusiastic young woman, who aayS took part in everything with great enthusiasffl. She appeared to have a faith. atthough didny profess to being a Christian. She prayed. and as she read her bible, we have no doubt she came to farth. She has been released from Hydebank, some eighteen months, had stsyed clean from drugs and alcohol and had not reoffended. Her deteThination has been amazing and inspiringl She now has managed to get her own flat. and we have had the privilege of helping her move in. A volunteer obtained a van which came in very usefull Imagine three of us tyng to get a washing machine up three flTrghts of stairs whi¢h was fiJn on another levell Suzzie has spent many hours volunteering with local young people in youth clubs and has realised 1his is in her heart and what she wants to do. She has successfijlty applied 2nd been accepted onto a youth work course in university, after completing an intensive English GCSE course which she passed. Recently she has also found open water swimming has really helped her mental health. It has been a privilege, and fun loo. go swmming with her. We athys pray after any of our vists arid Suzzie says she loves prayer as it brings her incredible peace. . Name has been changed to protect identty Family Work We have been able to support an elderfy couple whose daughter had been in and out of Hydebank frequenuy due to her alcohol addiction. but sadly she passed away earlier in the year. This mum felt qurte isolated and had a very limited group of friends and mixed onty with her family. The couple abfvays loved to receive a family visit. Vve were able to support them especially through this dtfficult time and listened to them as they grieved for their daughter and tried to encourage the mum especially to get OLrt more with her husband. Sadly. the mum passed away suddenly at the end of 2023. PFNI aims to reach out to those living in the community. Through this work. we support parents. pthers and children of prisoners who often struggle th signtficant issues apart from imprisonment including financial hardship. suicide. self-hami and a variety of other physical. soctal, psychiatric and psychosocial cJ)nditions. Staff and volunteers are often confronted wrth many challenging issues and needs. Throughout the year, a range of services were Offe to families: 321 family visrts wre conducted across Northem Ireland offering ongoing support to 127 families. During 2023-2024 PFNI engaged 53 new families. Through these visits the chanty offers betriending, a listening ear, and practical advice. 'Hands Up, Food Ministy.. through this project, volunteers ppa 56 meals for 21 families. Christrnas Hope: the annual food hamper and toy appeal provided 526 hampers and 624 toys. Christrnas Dinners: hosted by local d)urches arjd attended by 15 vnmen and 42 men.
PRISON FELLOWSHIP NORTHERN IRELAND DIRECTORS. REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 Volunteering During the year we had 55 regular volunteers who delivered support to those in custoty their families and people released from prison as well as a fijrther 60 volunteers helping the Christmas Hope Project. Other opportunities for volunteering included aftercare SUPFQrt, Letterfink and the hands up proJe¢L The impact of volunteering.. - In our Aftercare work volunteers work directty vth men in the comrnunty. they are required to have their own transport and be flexible to meet the needs of ex<)ffenders in the communty. Experience of working with men with mental heatth issues, addictton. loneliness. povety, homelessness. offending behaviour - including sexual offending. suicide and self_hami, are all key areas for the volunteers. Helping men vrith advice. gu*Sance and providing a listening ear, from time to time even assisting wilh transport to appointrnents are just a few of the ways the volunteers begin to build trust wtth the ex-offender. The volunteer role is a befriending role and setting l)oundaries with men in the community is important - we do not provide legal. medical, financial or housing advi although sTrgnposting and helping men engage with these services can be a great benefit to a person released from prison. The volunteers have been invaluable helping men attend medical and probation appointments and many services now require smart phone technology and familiartty with the internet which the volunteers are able to help with. PFNI is commttted to working in close partnership with Criminal Justice agenaes. There are many examples of interagency working at an operational level where stsff engage in multFdisciplinary meetings and support prisoners who are vulnerable or are struggling to adapt wthin the prison setting. In addition to the operational relationships viith statutory and voluntary organisations working wthin the Criminal Justice sector during 2023-2024, the charity was: represented on the 'Public Protection Agency Northem Ireland. (PPANI) a multi-agency forurn made up of a range of ststutory and voluntary organisations. PPANI aims to provtde a multragency, coordinated systern of risk assessment and risk management that will be effective in reducing the immediate and long-term risk of sexual or violent re-offending, a member of the 'Restorative Justice Practices Forum.. The aim is to promote restorative justice philosophy and practice across all aspects of lrfe and society. part of 'Accessing Services for Offenders. . an umbrella group of voluntary organisations working with people who are or have been in custody. PFNI seeks to encourage the public to be aware of the issues faced by released prisoners to prevent re- offending. During 2023-2024. the charity.. spoke at 77 deputations to groups throughout Northem Ireland. supported 10 prayer groups, which meet each month. distributed 4 editions of 'News and Prayer Focus. mailed to 1.304 individuals. and 535 people recgved our quarterty electronic mail. as well as the monthly prayer updates. continue to encourage electronic mail to help vrith reducing costs. The work of PFNI during the year 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 could not have been achieved without the dedication of staff and volunteers, the financial support received from personal donors, churches, companies, Nl Prison Seryice, and charitable trusts and foundations. and the strategic and operational partnerships with statutory colleagues.. N I Prison servi Staff & Management. Probation Board, PSNI and voluntary agencÈes, Quakers, NEACRO and Christians Against Povety.
PRISON FELLOWSHIP NORTHERN IRELAND DIRECTORS, REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 Financial review The resu$ are set out in detail on pages 10 to 22. The company retumed net incoming resources for the year ot £15,946 (2023 - £83,615) leaving unreslricted fvnds of £167,901 {2023 - £162,687) and restricted funds of £430,098 (2023 - £419,366). The unrestrided fiJnds are considered to be essential to provide suffictent funds to cover any unforeseen costs which may arise and fiJffill legal obligations of the charity in the event that current levels of income are not maintained. tt is the policy of the chanty that unrestrtcted funds have not been designated for a specffjc use should be maintained at a level equivalent to beteen three and six month's expenditure. The directors consider that resetves at this level will ensure that, in the event of a significant drop in funding, they will be able to continue the charity's current activities while consideration is given to ways in which addibonal fijnds may be raised. The directors have assessed the major risks to which the charFty is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks. Structure, governance and management The charitsble company is governed by rts Memorandum and tiCleS of Association. The company is not for profit and limited by guarantee. the liability of the members is limited to £1. The organisation is governed by its Board of Directors who meet regularly. The directors who served during the year arKI up to the date of signature of the financial statements were" Mrs J Holley Mr S Calms Dr G Mcllroy (Chairman) Mrs C Stirling Mr R Pedlow Mrs H Dunn Mr G Reynolds (Regned 12 September 2023) The Board of Directors delegates the day-to-day work of the organisation Io tls Chief Execulive Mr R Scott. There is a team of eleven employees and one hundred and four volunteers who ensure the successful deltvery of high- quality services to help people who are. or who have been in lawtul custody, and the families and VlmS of crime. During 2023-2024 the Board of Directors: Rewewed and updated our policies in line with current legislation. Undertook a review of Family Wofk and made recommendats'ons for the development of the work among families. Agreed to increase the staffing level at Maghabery due to the increasing prison population by adding an addttional part-time stsff member. Developed a program work th the PDU at Maghabery- Prisoner Regime and Enhanced Privileges (PREPS) program to address issues where an inmate has losl privileges can review and seek to address the matter and what needs to be done to remedy the problems.
PRISON FELLOWSHIP NORTHERN IRELAND DIRECTORS. REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 During the year ended 31 Man*J 2024 the totsl numiw of hours offeJed by volunteers to Prison Fellowshlp Northem Ireland {PFNI) vras 4,571. This is equwalent to 2.4 fuU4wne staff and using the National LNing Wage Duld be a cost to the tharity of over£S4.851 The diredors are indebted to the staff and vcknteertearrts kntheir selftess dedicalion and 0)mmitrt lo fvrlher the WO of the organisation. This rekKKt has been prepared in acrJ)rdamt% wilh the provi aFrficabl8 to c¥)mFonies entilled to the srnall o)mpanies exemplic¥]. The direcl rt was ap1x0v by the Boallj of Dire(knrs. DrGM {chairnn)