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Local charity seeks volunteers to support families and children on Teesside

ByCharley Williams

Jan 21, 2017

A north east charity, supporting over 200,000 visitors to north east prisons each year, is seeking new volunteers to help support families and children of prisoners on Teesside.

Nepacs has worked across the north east region for over 130 years to help support a positive future for prisoners, their friends and families.

The charity’s team of around 180 volunteers provide a wide range of services in all seven prisons in the north east and in the community. They are now calling out for more volunteers to help provide support to children and families at:

  • HMP Holme House Visitors Centre and new Heading Home programme in Stockton
  • HMP&YOI Kirklevington Grange tea bar and family support programme near Yarm
  • Teesside Crown and Magistrates’ Courts in Middlesbrough
  • And with their youth project (supporting young people aged eight to 18 years) – at Holme House prison and in the community.

There are a wide range of opportunities available at Nepacs, including court support volunteers who offer advice and information to friends/families of defendants. Within the prisons volunteers are needed to run the visit tea bars, visitors’ centres, youth zones and play areas. We also need volunteers to support our family support programme which helps the family throughout the time their partner/relative is in prison, and our new Heading Home programme which works with the family and the person in prison to plan for their release.

Nepacs volunteer coordinator Emma Price said: “Our team of volunteers are dedicated to helping prisoners’ families and children across the north east, but we need more volunteers to ensure we can offer the best support possible.

“The impact of imprisonment on children and families can be devastating and visiting court or prison for the first time can be quite difficult and sometimes distressing.

“Our volunteers offer a warm welcome and someone to chat to, which is particularly important for people who are going into the unknown and are facing a place and situation they may never have thought they would ever be.

“At this time of year it is especially important that we help children and families maintain ties with their relative in custody.”

Nepacs volunteers come from all walks of life, including people who are retired, students and professionals who volunteer in their spare time.

Emma added: “If you think you could support us by volunteering and would like to be part of a team who helps to make a difference to the lives of prisoners families please get in touch.”

  • If you are interested in volunteering with Nepacs please email volunteering@nepacs.co.uk or telephone 0191 375 7278. Further details of all our volunteer opportunities are on our website www.nepacs.co.uk