Thinking back, looking forward: Ahmed
In July 2021, we asked Ahmed to share his experiences in a blog. He was two years on from completing the StandOut course at HMP Wandsworth and spoke of the challenges he’d faced since leaving prison and his determination to pursue a career in IT. After several setbacks applying for jobs, he called for employers to look at people’s passions, not their past when it came to the application process.
Almost another two years since his first blog, Ahmed updates us on where his journey has taken him since.
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Career Hub reaches new heights
From the ground floor of our office in Vauxhall to the sky garden of PA Consulting’s office in Victoria, our most recent Career Hub reached new heights. Not only literally, but also in a new collaboration with volunteers.
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Experiencing the criminal justice system from the other side
Nelena Paparisva and her colleagues from PA Consulting volunteered with StandOut at HMP Pentonville last year to support people on the StandOut course develop their CVs. In her blog, she shares her experience - from her unique perspective as a former police officer.
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Carl’s Story
Approaching his release date, Carl wasn’t hopeful for the future - but then he met StandOut. Carl reflects on his journey since leaving prison, his increased confidence and how he’s using his voice to advocate for change.
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Thinking back, looking forward: John
In this, the second blog in our Thinking Back, Looking Forward series, we hear from John, who has recently moved on as lead coach at HMP Pentonville to a new role outside of StandOut, in the world of education. John joined the StandOut team in January 2021 after two years at Pentonville as a prison officer through the Unlocked Grads programme. Now, on the other side of his journey with us – having made a fantastic impact during his time as a StandOut coach, he reflects on his experiences and what he will take forward with him in his next steps.
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The ripple effect: EY’s experiences of volunteering with StandOut
Over the past six months, colleagues from EY have joined our volunteer groups in prison to support StandOut Trainees with CV sessions, mock interview workshops and celebrate their achievements at end of course graduations.
In this blog, they share why they were motivated to get involved, and their personal reflections on the StandOut programme.
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Thinking back, looking forward: Alex
We are pleased to bring you the first of our ‘Thinking Back, Looking Forward’ series of blogs. ‘Thinking Back, Looking Forward’ will celebrate the journeys and recognise the realities of individuals who have been involved in our work, from their own unique perspective.
In the first of these blogs, we hear from Alex Rose, StandOut’s Head of Programmes, as he reflects on where his journey with StandOut has taken him so far and what’s on the path ahead.
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StandOut at HMP Wormwood Scrubs: energy, enthusiasm, and the "best week ever".
November saw an exciting next step in StandOut’s journey as we launched a pilot programme at HMP Wormwood Scrubs.
The course had many highlights for the coaching team but mock interviews and the graduation afternoon are golden moments, and during these sessions it was clear how much the men had grown in confidence during the course.
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See your donation double with the Big Give Christmas Challenge
StandOut is taking part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge 2022, and we need your help.
The Big Give is the largest online match funding campaign in the UK. For one week only this December, it is offering our supporters a unique opportunity to have their donation doubled, meaning your donation can have double the impact.
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StandOut a “unique and high quality programme”
StandOut has always known that it isn’t perfect and that it has to work hard to keep improving, to get better at meeting the needs of the people it works with. Recently, we commissioned an independent expert, Russell Webster, to evaluate our work to help us identify our strengths and weaknesses. You can read the evaluation report here. In this post, Russell reflects on the evaluation.
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A StandOut trainees formula for success
John completed the StandOut programme in May 2021 where he set some ambitious goals. His determination and proactive approach to self-development since leaving prison has inspired the whole StandOut team. We asked John to write something for StandOut’s next trainee bulletin about staying motivated, but we felt everyone could learn something from Trainee John’s approach to making lasting change.
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The importance of celebration
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.
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Why coaching?
Hannah has joined StandOut as an experienced coach. For our recent trainee bulletin, she talks about coaching - why we do it and what impact it can have.
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Finding my voice
Ezra took part in StandOut in HMP Pentonville last summer. Since leaving prison, Ezra has been working hard to get closer to his personal goals with the support of the StandOut coaches backing him every step of the way.
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5 years of StandOut in Wandsworth
As StandOut celebrates an important anniversary, we asked Katie Nutley, Head of Reducing Reoffending in HMP Wandsworth, to reflect on what has been achieved in the last five years.
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Everything changes
People often talk about how hard the first weeks can be after being released from prison. In our last trainee blog of the year, StandOut Experts Beyond Bars member Hall speaks openly about the challenges he faced as he navigated his first year after release.
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Double your donation to StandOut this Christmas!
StandOut is taking part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge this year! Save the date to double the impact of your donation for people leaving prison.
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Hidden depths in StandOut-lite
Our CEO and co-founder Penny Parker recently joined a StandOut workshop in HMP Wandsworth and reflects how, even in a shorter version of our full programme, the men found a safe space to be vulnerable.
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Covid-19 Helpline Report
StandOut launched a Helpline service to offer critical support to men leaving our partner prisons when face-to-face work was not possible. We've written a report to summarise our learning from the Helpline and give voice to the people we worked with during the pandemic.
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Ahmed's Story
Ahmed took part in StandOut in HMP Wandsworth two years ago. We invited him to write a blog about his experiences since leaving prison.
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