The importance of celebration
By Penny Parker, StandOut co-founder and Trustee
StandOut has reached a significant moment: five years since we ran the first pilot course in HMP Wandsworth in the spring of 2017: cause for celebration but also for a redoubling of our effort.
Our first eight trainees are etched deeply in our memories: but we had to be honest with them - in the pilot phase we were not able to offer the vital holistic support after release that we wanted to work towards and that is now a core part of StandOut. But, as they embraced every element of the programme material, we realised that StandOut had created an unusual space in a prison classroom, where participants could be honest and start to face up to the challenges of planning for life outside of prison.
That we were doing something unusual was summed up when one of the participants on the first course stopped mid-session and wistfully asked “Miss, what is love?”. We broke the flow to discuss this vital philosophical question, talking about relationships and how being in prison affected family life.
What we also found was that in many smaller moments there was cause for celebration: standing to share a personal story in a short presentation to fellow class members; a first CV completed, mock interviews completed with encouraging feedback and an end of course graduation in front of an audience that challenged even the most confident.
Prison offers little opportunity to be reminded what you are capable of. Aspirations can be quickly crushed by fear of how you will be treated by the world outside, the impact of a criminal record and the perceived lack of opportunities. So, as the first pilot cohort graduated we celebrated - their ambition for a brighter future and that we had done something that many told us was impossible in delivering a new programme in prison.
As we pass the five year mark, we are rightly celebrating that StandOut is now embedded in a second prison, and soon to be third. To do that required us to draw in talented individuals with a passion for supporting people to make lasting change. Together with our trainees, they have helped to develop a package of post-release support that really makes a difference.
StandOut is with people for the long haul: offering support for as long as is needed. It means we enjoy the opportunities for celebration but also ride the low moments knowing that with resilience people can move on and celebrate again. For some that can be many months, or even years, since they came out of prison.
Like Ahmed (2019) who has written of the challenges he faced but who has determinedly pursued his goal of moving into IT and has recently taken up an apprenticeship, while holding down a shift based job.
Or Salat (2019) who three years after release is now working on an exciting new project where he is using his experience and support from StandOut to impact the lives of others leaving prison
Or Simon (2018) who, as a former soldier, knew that it was helping people that most fired his passions but he faced a series of setbacks in his first year after prison. So we were delighted to celebrate when Simon’s persistence paid off and he secured a place at university to study Biomedical Sciences and then a scholarship from the Longford Trust.
We also celebrate progress in the wider community since StandOut started: the idea of offering opportunity to people leaving prison is no longer limited to a minority of ground-breaking employers. At our first prison HMP Wandsworth we are pleased to have played a part in an Employment Board - now being rolled out across resettlement prisons.
So celebration feels entirely right as we mark five years since the first pilot course - however we are not stopping there. The plan this year to expand into a third prison means more people offered life-changing support. But it also means more opportunities for system change as we share our culture, values and approach and prove the impact of long-term support built around people.