St Giles Trust

The accounts of these women are proof that support both inside and outside prison - such as that offered through our Footsteps Project - is needed to ensure that women can make a smooth transition into the community. Interesting article here from BBC News on the issues facing women in custody. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-456 27845

Remember to tune into BBC Countryfile tomorrow to find out more about county lines in rural areas, featuring interviews with our staff who have been tackling the issue under our work in Kent. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bmbyzx

The Footsteps Project helps vulnerable women prison leavers resettle into the community and stabilise their often chaotic lives. Over 25% of the support sessions we offer the women relate to mental health issues - many of these are due to ASD. This article in The Guardian highlights how austism spectrum disorders are undiagnosed in women and gives a voice to those affected: https://www.theguardian.com/…/thousands -of-autistic-girls-a…

Criminal gangs are increasingly exploiting vulnerable children and young people in rural areas and market towns to become drug runners. BBC1 Countryfile are examining the issue this Sunday. Tune in at 6.15pm to watch it and learn more about the work we have been doing to tackle it.

Watch this powerful new film from VICE, presented by ex-gang member Josh Osborne, on how knife crime has taken a hold on the capital and the heartbreaking effects it has had on those directly affected. At 31 minutes it features our partnership work in the Royal London Hospital with young victims, with contributions from Consultant Trauma Surgeon Dr Martin Griffiths and our Senior Caseworker Roisin Kelville. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_pNlDhpb ew

Pleased and proud to say that we will be further developing our work in the Royal Borough of Greenwich through a new partnership project with local community organisation Woolwich B Young Stars. Woolwich Together will offer young people at risk and their families sessions and support to help prevent knife crime. https://www.stgilestrust.org.uk/…/new-p roject-will-help-kee…

Final few hours to vote for our Peer Advisors in the National Lottery Awards. Voting closes at midnight tonight so if you haven't already done so we'd really, really appreciate it if you vote for us here - it's quick and easy. Thanks everyone 😁 https://goo.gl/xdVPEq

We warmly welcome a report launched today by the London Assembly's Police and Crime Commission is calling for more support to help vulnerable women in the criminal justice system. Nicky Park, our Head of Prisons and Women's Lead, has responded to the report. You can read her response here: https://www.stgilestrust.org.uk/…/st-gi les-trust-welcomes-r…

In 2017, PwC launched an evaluation into our Peer Advisor Programme. It concluded that it offered £8.34 in societal and economic returns for every £1 invested in it. But beyond these financial gains are real stories of people whose lives have been transformed as a result of being helped by or training as a St Giles Trust Peer Advisor. If you haven't already done do, please remember to vote for them in the National Lottery Good Causes #NLAStGilesTrust https://goo.gl/xdVPEq

Our CEO, Rob Owen in National Lottery Good Causes finest supporting us to get the votes we need. Join him in voting for our South London Peer Advisors https://goo.gl/xdVPEq #NLAStGilesTrust

We believe that people with first-hand experience of overcoming disadvantage hold the key to positive change in others. Vote for our Peer Advisors in the #NLAStGilesTrust http://www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/…/s t-giles-trust-peer-a…

St Giles Trust's Ipswich Team help people with convictions access skills and employment opportunities and offer specialist services for young people and vulnerable women. It's fab that their hard work is getting the recognition it deserves.

An interesting piece in Stanford Social Innovation Review highlighting our role under the world's first ever social impact bond at HMP Peterborough using our peer-led approach. We were proud to be able to help some of the most needy, vulnerable prison leavers in the city get their lives back on track. https://ssir.org/articles/entry/a_new_for m_of_capitalism#

Supported by the European Social Fund and The Big Lottery Fund through the Building Better Opportunities Programme, Peer Circles helps adults held back by chronic and multiple disadvantages overcome their problems and mover towards employment through peer support. More information is available at https://www.stgilestrust.org.uk/page/peer -circles

Well done to our fantastic Trainer Assessor, Alison, who recently received an award from The Worshipful Company of Educators.

In today's Daily Express, our Chief Executive Rob Owen argues for more to be done to tackle the root causes of knife crime. He highlights the importance of giving vulnerable young people a single trusted point of contact who can help them access the support and services they need. This is the approach used by us on the SOS Project. https://www.express.co.uk/…/Knife-crime -uk-london-St-Giles-…

This is so lovely - Tommy has done brilliantly and has passed his driving test and can now take up the full time Youth Worker job. Woo hoo!

St Giles trust you was a big help .came out of prison with no were to lay my head I was sent to st Giles trust .At first I was convince that this is a joke .but boy Was I wrong .with st Giles I got well they got me a flat food to eat .and I can't forget how some of the Staff went out of there way to help you with what ever problems you had .for exsample Collette that's was one lady I dealt with on a day to day basis thanks you everyone at st.Giles .Am doing very well now moved out of London got married and in. Nice job now .you all rock .keep up the good work st.Giles trust

I am not very good with words so bare with me on this.



Back in my teenage years i was a rebel.... so much so i managed to land myself a criminal record at the age of 11 yrs old.

This escalated into me getting in trouble more & more & more, so much so the courts remanded me into care at the age of 13 and i was banned from my home town.

Upon leaving care i hadn't really learnt my lesson and started getting in to more trouble, but this time it was for more serious offences and i found myself in jail at the age of 16.



It took me till my early 20's to give my head a wobble and go straight.

Only problem was.... in my eyes the damage was already done and i truely believed my past had destroyed my future.

After spending years in job after job going nowhere i thought that this was me for life. Deep down i really wanted to look out for kids who are currently in care in the hope to help them not make the same mistakes as i did. I was gutted thinking that i couldnt do this because of my criminal record.



I then was told about St Giles Trust and how they help ex offenders believe in themselves again. In 2013 i knocked on St Giles door and told them where i wanted to go in life and how i feared i wouldnt be able too due to my past.



Since then St Giles has put me through my Advice & Guidance level 3 and also let me become a peer advisor within their team in Ipswich.

All the staff at the Ipswich branch were very supportive and help me rebuild my self confidence.

I started to believe in myself again.



3 years later i have left St Giles and gone on to be a Youth Support Worker in a childrens home. "My dream job that i thought i would never be able to do".



Therefore i want to thank Carol and Kate at the Ipswich branch for making believe that anything is possible. I want to thank them for all the support they have given me in my journey and most of all for believing in me.



St Giles Trust....i will be forever grateful.



Thank you so so much



Regards Tommy.

I am a student nurse studying at the university of Greenwich. We had Junior from the SOS project come to speak to us today. What an amazing organisation you are and marvellous work you do.