The showcase will be held at the House of Lords in London on 10 October 2024. The Connect to Community service has been nominated as one of the most pioneering and impactful projects in the category for Christian Work in Prisons (including community projects working primarily with people who have spent time in prison).

Paul Stevenson, our Director of Homelessness Prevention, shares: “We would like to thank the Souter Charitable Trust for nominating us for this award. Our Connect to Community service has been working with people on release from prison and in community for the last ten years, and we are delighted that this vital service has been recognised!”

CFF chair, Suzannah O’Brien, commented: “Our 2024 Showcasing event will provide an opportunity to bring funders and Grantmakers together, to network, celebrate and shine a light on the work we collectively support.”

The charity has been nominated for their pioneering project, working with people who have experience of the criminal justice system. Currently, 1 in 3 people leaving prison in Scotland don’t have a place to stay on the first night of their release. Connect to Community delivers nationwide support in partnership with all 15 Scottish prisons, connecting people leaving prison with resettlement opportunities and volunteer befrienders.

David McAdam, coordinator of Connect to Community, commented: “Over three quarters of arrivals to prison are returns to custody, two-thirds of which occur within twelve months of leaving prison. When prisons are overcrowded, they simply become ‘warehouses’ - unable to deliver rehabilitative programmes due to pressure on resources. The key to reducing the population in prison is reducing the rate of reoffending. That’s why our work focuses on successful rehabilitation.”

Last year the team supported 137 people, 80% of whom remained out of prison.

David McAdam concluded: “The real strength of Connect to Community is developing a sense of belonging – connecting people leaving prison with befrienders who are unpaid and who are simply in their lives because they want to be. When people know they matter to somebody, it helps build resilience against reoffending.”