News & Events
SVP forging a new alliance with pact to offer hope to ex-offenders
The SVP and pact (The Prison Advice & Care Trust) have today announced a new alliance to support men leaving prison. The charities have come together to develop ‘Basic Caring Communities': small groups of trained volunteers who commit to working together to offer support, fellowship, advocacy and a sense of warm human community to men leaving prison.
The alliance is officially being launched for Prisoners' Sunday, 15th November. Thousands of parishes across England & Wales will receive a special pack, encouraging prayer for prisoners, victims, prisoners' families and for prison and probation staff. The pack also offers opportunities to get involved and support the campaign.
Issuing a joint statement, Director of pact Andy Keen-Downs and SVP CEO Elizabeth Palmer (pictured) said:
“We are delighted that our two charities can work together in this way. We share common roots in Catholic Christian teaching about how we are called to offer care, dignity and compassion to the poor, and to those who are excluded. Basic Caring Communities offers all of us an opportunity to do something positive, as Church, to reduce re-offending by ex-prisoners, which is the cause of so much of the crime that affects us all.”
pact's President, Archbishop Vincent Nichols (the Archbishop of Westminster) is supporting Basic Caring Communities, and will be welcoming guests to Westminster Cathedral Hall on 12th December.
For further information about the work being done please vist the pact website www.prisonadvice.org.uk.
[6.10.09]