3Pillars Project, a charity at the forefront of providing essential mentoring support to young men in custody and on release, has been granted £50k over two years from Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales for core costs.
Lloyds Bank Foundation has come onboard as a funder of 3Pillars Project new initiative, GAMEPLAN, a revolutionary Through The Gate sports-based mentoring rehabilitation programme for young men in the criminal justice system.
GAMEPLAN is a dynamic intervention that will prevent young men returning to custody, through a comprehensive multi-year effort to support young people in custody both before and after release from prison with sports-based mentoring.
In July 2020, The HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, said: “There is now a real risk of psychological decline among prisoners, which needs to be addressed urgently, so that prisoners, children and detainees do not suffer long term damage to their mental health and well-being, and prisons can fulfil their rehabilitative goals”. 69% of young offenders reoffend within one year of release and 52% of male prison leavers don’t have any qualifications. The problem is not getting any smaller and that’s why 3Pillars will be crucial to helping young people in prison recover from the aftermath of the pandemic.
Alongside unrestricted funding, the grant from Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales will include support from a regional manager to work with 3Pillars Project to strengthen organisational resilience and capacity and access a wide range of developmental support.
Frances Warwick, Manager - East of England and London for Lloyds Bank Foundation, said; “Small and local charities play a key role in our communities and they have been vital in reaching and helping people overcome complex social issues and move forward with their lives. 3Pillars support particularly vulnerable young men as they exit the criminal justice system and their long-term and trauma-informed approach leads to positive rehabilitation outcomes.
“We’re delighted to support 3Pillars with a £50,000 grant alongside targeted capacity building support which will help 3Pillars grow their programme and become more sustainable so they can continue to help young men at such a critical time.”
Founder and CEO of 3Pillars Project Mike Crofts commented: “We are so proud to be in partnership with Lloyds Bank Foundation especially off the back of a challenging time for the young men we support. The risk of psychological decline among prisoners is increasing because of the prolonged lockdown within the institutions during Covid-19. Those being released are also in a vulnerable position having been isolated without educational or rehabilitation activities being readily available. We are intervening to limit them suffering long term damage to their mental health and well-being, supporting resettlement back into families and communities, and building a positive and rewarding future. We know our sports-based mentoring model is effective with all our recent apprentices now being in employment or education.
“With the support from Lloyds Bank Foundation we can reach more young men and provide the lifeline they need. Lloyd’s multi-year commitment mirrors the continued support we give to our young people which is crucial in building trust and nurturing positive behavioural and educational development. We’re looking forward to developing the programme with Lloyds over the coming years.”
3Pillars has a successful track record having worked with hundreds of people in custody and the community. Now with support from Lloyds Bank Foundation they are able to build on the solid foundations and reach more young people than ever before.
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