Together4Bristol : Sixty-One Spring Update

Sixty-One Spring Update

Hello everyone! It's a real privilege to have joined Sixty-One and now to be sharing with you in this newsletter. Over these last three months, I have had the pleasure of meeting many of our wonderful volunteer mentors, mentees, supporters and partners as well as working with the fantastic team here at Sixty-One. In every interaction, it has been clear to see the difference that it makes when people are connected. I was recently struck by the following quote: “All violence begins with disconnection; all outward violence begins as inner loneliness. People who are not being noticed, will eventually resort to being noticed by any means necessary. It is key to address disconnection.” Every one of us is born with the desire for connection, to be accepted and to belong. For many who find themselves in the prison system, acceptance and belonging have not been part of their history and this isolation is only reinforced by society’s treatment on their release. Here at Sixty-One, we are all about connection, community and empowerment to be able to make change – these three things are transformational at every level and are at the core of what we do. - Elizabeth, CEO Sixty-One

Spring celebration event

At the end of March, we held our MentorMe Celebration event! 46 of our fabulous mentors and mentees came along and enjoyed an array of desserts and a quiz. It was a great evening and a time to come together and enjoy food, good company and some healthy rivalry over quiz questions!

Hub leaders' event f895eff8-f759-402f-a1f9-52252c

March also saw our second Church Hub leaders' event. Hub leaders came together for a valuable time of sharing experience, encouragement and prayer. Church Hubs provide a regular meeting place where people with a conviction are welcomed and can have a sense of belonging. For many it is their first experience of life back in community and Hubs are a safe space for people to begin to trust again. “For me it’s been quite helpful because when I first came out of prison I didn’t feel like I was able to fit into society and I didn’t know whether I was going to actually be able to get back into a normal sort of life. I started having a mentor and with their help I managed to become more confident and I’m not quite as depressed as I was and it also got me out of my comfort zone by helping me get out and about a lot more.” - Mentee and Hub attendee For more information about running a Hub for ex-prisoners contact: alisonp a_t sixty-one d_o_t org

MentorMe training 1beb7cde-c742-4c0d-419c-54c956

Our second MentorMe training course this year is currently underway. We have 12 wonderful people exploring whether mentoring is the right thing for them. The sessions give a greater understanding of what it means to be a mentor, enable participants to learn lots about themselves and are great fun! "Truly one of the best examples of practical training I’ve attended, and I couldn’t be more thankful for the time and experience of the leaders." - Trainee Would you like to explore mentoring someone with a criminal conviction? We'll be running another course in October, please email alisonp a_t sixty-one d_o_t org for the details.

Bringing hope

As we are beginning to come through the pandemic, we are conscious that during lockdown, prisoners were locked in their cells for an average of 22.5 hours a day for close to two years. This is having a significant impact on their mental health and makes post-release support even more important. We know that mentoring can and does provide a hope for a different future - more than that, it enables people to get there.