I have the enormous privilege of being Chair of the Board of trustees for Trailblazers Mentoring, a charity supporting young people with custodial sentences re-build their lives free of crime and gaining independence. 

The charity provides services to over 170 young people annually between the ages of 18-35, in 6 prisons across London, the Midlands and Bucks.  The core service is intensive mentoring delivered by 'Team TB' - a fabulous dedicated group of 70+ volunteers supported by 10 highly experienced  staff. Team TB  prepare young people for release by ensuring the necessary practical support is in place (including ID, bank accounts, benefits, CVs, safe accommodation) and help individuals plan and navigate their re-integration back into the community by accessing education, training and employment (ETE) opportunities. All essential to give mentees the best chance of re- shaping their lives and avoid reoffending.

Our impact - young people supported by Trailblazers:

• have a much lower risk of reoffending - 9% within a year of release v the national average of almost 40% 
• 30% of young people secure an employment or training opportunity within a year of release, compared to 17% without support
• has hugely positive societal and community benefits
• simply makes sense economically. £1.5K investment supports a mentee for 12 months v £46K to house someone for a year in prison; Trailblazers saves the Exchequer c£4m annually. 

Over the next 3 years, Trailblazers plans to open in a further 4 prisons, enabling a greater number of young people to benefit. Innovative pilots, including peer to peer prison mentoring and assessing the value of digital access are underway. Through co-delivery with local national & community partners the charity is focused on delivering ambitious plans to extend our services to benefit returning young  citizens. 

For an insight into individuals' journeys click on here: 

https://www.trailblazersmentoring.org.uk/our-impact/