Beyond the Walls:
Prisons' Week Rehabilitation Event
Back in October, Sixty-One was delighted to partner with local prison chaplaincies to host a Prisons Week Event and exhibition at St Agnes Church. The event highlighted the importance of prisoner rehabilitation in and outside of prison and opportunities for people to get involved.
What a turnout! We welcomed just over 100 people through the doors from organisations across the city, creating a buzz of energy and shared commitment to prisoner rehabilitation.
17 organisations took an exhibition stand and, along with plenty of networking, participants enjoyed a keynote speech from Bob Wilson (Free Church Faith Adviser to the Prison and Probation Service) and talk from Adam Feak (Chaplain at Winchester Prison). Music was provided throughout the evening by the incredible Changing Tunes band and everyone enjoyed delicious food provided by The Key Café and Ashfield Prison.
The event not only highlighted the amazing rehabilitation work happening locally but also facilitated the making of great new connections between organisations.
“A brilliant evening. Really inspiring and hope-filled talks and great to connect with other people and organisations"
"An encouraging and inspiring space"
"So good to connect with others with a similar heart"
"Lots of positive links were made" - event attendees
It was a privilege to be in a room full of so many remarkable people and organisations, all united by the shared purpose of prisoner rehabilitation in our city and beyond.
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Taking the Inside View
This autumn, Sixty-One had the privilege of speaking as a Practitioner Presenter at a conference on Catholic Social Teaching jointly organised by the Charles Plater Trust and Campion Hall, Oxford University. Paired with Dr Gemma Simmonds as our academic respondent and Chaired by Bishop Richard Moth, newly appointed Archbishop of Westminster, our session offered reflections on criminal justice, mentoring and Catholic Social Teaching and gave a rally cry for others to get involved in similar initiatives.
“Our aim as an organisation is to support people not just to exist but to live meaningfully away from crime and to fully and safely occupy the space of their new lives.” – Elizabeth Preece
“The communal nature of reconciliation is emphasized within Catholic Social Teaching, where healing extends beyond individual repentance to societal restoration, and that’s at the very heart of what Sixty-One is all about.” – Dr Gemma Simmonds
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Good news is always good news! One of our mentees had the long-term goal of undertaking a particular training course to be able to use their experience to help others. Financial constraints and personal circumstances had meant that most avenues had been closed. However, with the support of their mentor, they found an accessible course that could be undertaken online, and a grant that would be able to cover the costs. At the time of writing, our mentee has attended their first session and really enjoyed it!
“I’ve been in hell for a year, and now suddenly I’m in heaven!’”
One of our mentees recently moved out of temporary accommodation into his own home – a goal that he, with the support of his mentor, had been working on for nearly a year. The constant noise, mess and substance misuse of others during this time meant that their mental and physical health deteriorated. With much encouragement from his mentor and overcoming numerous hurdles along the way, our mentee is now the happiest his case manager has ever seen him, His health is already improving due to the reduced stress and improved sleep. |
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Christmas Celebration Event
Last week, we held our MentorMe Christmas celebration event at Fishponds Baptist Church (FBC). These events are always the highlight of our year as team - we love seeing the community that Sixty-One/MentorMe has become, celebrating milestones achieved and sharing food together!
“Lovely company, food and atmosphere as always. It makes me feel privileged to be part of MentorMe!”
This was our biggest ever celebration event, welcoming an amazing 70 mentors and mentees to share a festive meal, compete in Christmas quizzes and to build the best Nativity scene out of craft materials and scrap plastic. It was also an opportunity to mark the incredible achievements of some of our mentees over the past year.
A big thankyou to everyone who came and celebrated with us, to FBC for hosting, and to B&A Church for providing the lovely food. We simply could not run these events without you!
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Could you mentor someone on their release from
prison?
"I feel blessed to have such supportive and positive people in my life...I feel recharged, ready to take on the coming year with vigour!"
This quote from one of our mentees perfectly sums up the transformative effect that mentoring can have on the lives of people living with criminal convictions. We all need supportive and positive people in our lives to thrive and overcome the challenges that life throws at us, and life can be pretty challenging if you have a criminal record.
By giving just an hour of your week, you could be part of somebody's story of transformation. You don't need any mentoring experience, and you don't need to know anything about criminal justice. We teach you all the key skills you need during our training.
All you need is a listening ear and a willingness to put your faith into practice amongst those on the margins of society.
If this sounds like something you'd like to explore, our next training course for new volunteer mentors will be taking place in the early spring of 2026- email info@sixty-one.org to register your interest and to be kept up to date on the dates as they are finalised. |
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Please Pray
Please pray for all those in prison this Christmas and their families
Please pray for peace and protection over our mentees, especially during the Christmas period which can be a difficult time for many
Please pray for our upcoming MentorMe training course at the beginning of the year and the need for more mentors
Posted: December 2025
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