By Craig Mortimer-Zhika, Head of CommunicationsI was fortunate enough to attend the Community Trust's presentation event inside Reading prison earlier this week, and it was a privilege to see first hand the work that takes place behind bars.
It was my first visit to a prison, and hopefully I can be forgiven for being a little unsure about what to expect - but it was an eye-opener in the truest sense.
First and foremost, I came away with huge respect for everybody who takes part in delivering the programme - our own Community coaches, the prison staff and those from the Duke of Edinburgh award.
The young inmates on this programme have made mistakes in their youth, but they are being given another opportunity to prove their worth to society. It takes a strong, mature man to dedicate so much time to helping those who have wronged in the past. To be honest, it made me ask myself if I could find the strength to do the same?
I can imagine when discussions first took place about working inside the prison, it was a rather daunting prospect for our coaches. But, to their credit, they saw it as an opportunity to help those who would benefit from their expertise. Our guys agreed to visit the institution every week, and while their work as Social Inclusion Officers regularly takes them to impoverished areas and places in need of a helping hand, going inside the prison walls was a step beyond the norm, even for them. We are the first club to work inside a prison, and the first step is always the greatest.
Make no mistake, it was clear that this course ensures the offenders work hard. To achieve a Bronze award, there are modules in volunteering, skills, expeditioning and physical fitness, taking place over a number of months. Our staff teach practical football coaching and sports leadership, and it's interesting to see how handling responsibility for every aspect of a football coaching session can help these young offenders develop skills they never knew they had.
Sir John Madejski rightly described the afternoon as inspirational. The Chairman has said from day one that Reading is a community club, and there can't be many club Chairmen who have been inside their local prison to find out about their community coaches' achievements. We work all across Berkshire with children and young adults, and this is just one example of the work that takes place, often away from the public eye.
The Chairman, myself and others were also taken on a tour of the facility, and seeing up close how these offenders are housed was very revealing. The cells are anything but salubrious, and any perception of inmates having an easy life with PlayStations could not be further from the truth. Oscar Wilde's cell is no tourist spot, that much is clear.
At the end of the event, after listening to a recap of the scheme and speeches from those involved, the offenders were asked if they had anything that they wished to share with the group. To a man, they all thanked their officers and our Community Trust staff for helping them to grow, develop and get closer to rehabilitation. I can only echo that by saying I have nothing but respect for those who chose to do such worthwhile work.
