“I have found JustPeople to be a refreshingly ‘can do’ organisation who are passionate about what they do”
David Devenney, Prison Project Team Leader
City of Exeter YMCA Community Projects is a dynamic local charity (Charity Number: 250197) committed to developing and delivering creative and innovative projects to serve the communities of Exeter and the surrounding area.
Since 1968 our efforts have been focused upon supporting and empowering the most vulnerable in our community, giving them the skills and support they need to fulfil their potential and to achieve a purposeful and positive future.
Perspectives – Doing Life Differently
‘Perspectives – Doing Life Differently’ is a groundbreaking personal development and life skills educational intervention forming the core strand of the prison work of City of Exeter YMCA Community Projects. This unique initiative builds upon the foundation of an impressive ten year track record of partnership delivery within HMP Exeter, HMP Channings Wood near Newton Abbot and HMP Dartmoor.
Each unit of ‘Perspectives’ is progressive and helps incentivise learners of all ages towards increasing engagement with prison education. It encourages and allows individuals to make appropriate lifestyle/attitude changes by engaging effectively with the often complex life issues that underlie offending/re-offending behaviour. In this way we seek to prepare prisoners to re-engage positively with life outside prison and help reduce re-offending.
Expanding the project
In late 2010 it was agreed that ‘Perspectives…Doing Life Differently’ would be introduced to HMP Dartmoor. A manpower uplift was therefore required in order to meet this increased demand and it was agreed that the core team would be reconfigured to consist of a mix of paid core project workers and volunteers. Working within prisons is a challenge in itself but because of the unique demands required in terms of security and essential skill-sets finding the right volunteers represented a substantial challenge.
As the Prison Project Team Leader I was impressed by a presentation given at a conference by JustPeople staff on their aim of recruiting, training, vetting and allocating qualified volunteers for work with the Criminal Justice System. It seemed exactly what I was looking for and during subsequent discussions I found the JustPeople team to be as pro-active as we are and decided to enter into a partnership arrangement.
JustPeople
I have found JustPeople to be a refreshingly ‘can do’ organisation who are passionate about what they do. They have matched us with suitably experienced volunteers, offered good specialist advice when required and are keen to embrace full and equal ownership of our joint volunteer arrangement. Their lines of communication are excellent and their provision of ongoing support is exemplary.
My experience of partnership working with JustPeople has been superb and I can wholeheartedly recommend them to any organisation or agency seeking to involve good quality volunteers in working within the Criminal Justice System
David Devenney, Prison Project Team Leader
