Feedback

21 August 2006

Mike Allison from Chernobyl Children's Project, who are based in East Yorkshire sent us this report following his recent trip to Belarus:

Tears of Gratitude.

The gift of a wheelchair, renovated at an Inside Out Trust wheelchair repair workshop, has moved an elderly gentlemen in Belarus to tears as it has given him the independence to visit his friends. The gentleman, whose name we do not know unfortunately, lives in a home for elderly people in a village near Korma in Belarus. The home is unable to offer much in the way of comfort or activities for its residents and this gentleman, who is disabled, was unable to make the short journey down the corridors to his friends.

Mike Allison, who works for Chernobyl Children’s Project based in East Yorkshire, visited the home earlier this summer. He was leading a five vehicle convoy delivering wheelchairs and medical supplies to Belarus, where the project works with partners to promote better care for children and young people with disabilities.

The team had delivered some wheelchairs to the residential home for the elderly some years ago and as they were having lunch nearby they decided to pop in and visit. Whilst there they were approached by an elderly gentleman, proudly displaying his medals, who asked if they had a spare wheelchair. He explained he could not walk and so was unable to move about and visit his friends without assistance.

The following day, when Mike’s team had finished unloading wheelchairs in Gomel they had one spare and so the authorities agreed it could be donated to the elderly gentleman they’d met the previous day. It was delivered by local staff and as Mike and his team set off home the next day they received a text saying the elderly gentleman had cried in gratitude when the wheelchair was delivered to him.

 

21 February 2006

Anita Smith from the Bansang Hospital Appeal, who are based in Kettering, Northants, sent us this thank you letter for refurbished goods which were donated to them for the people of The Gambia in Africa:

"Thank you so much for the wonderful gift of wheelchairs and bicycles for the Bansang Hospital Appeal. My heartfelt thanks also, to the men who have used their skills to help make such a huge difference to the lives of others.

The Gambia is one of the poorest countries in Africa and there is no provision for people with physical disabilities, i.e. wheelchairs, crutches etc, so the disabled are left at home completely dependant on an already overburdened family. The wheelchairs will provide people with so much more freedom and independence and help them to be more integrated into society.

The bicycles will be used by the staff at the hospital and will ease their journeys to and from work making them less tired at the start of a gruelling day on the wards in scorching temperatures.

I will be sending photographs as soon as the container has arrived and been unloaded and I look forward to talking to the men and thanking them at a future date to be arranged.�

Yours sincerely

Anita Smith."

Our bicycle workshop in HMP Cardiff supplied the bikes for the Bansang Hospital appeal and HMP Swansea supplied the refurbished wheelchairs. We look forward to showing you photos of the distribution in the near future. For more information please visit: www.bansanghospitalappeal.com

25 November 2005

Martin Griffin, Computer Repair workshop instructor in HMP Stafford forwarded us this email from one of the guys who used to work in the shop, and we are delighted to read how well he is doing now.

“Hi Martin!

Thought that I would write and drop you a quick line to let you know how things are going. It’s been a really difficult 3 months, but eventually I have managed to get myself a job with a small company. My official title is Internet architect, or Web Designer to cut the ****! I prefer the first title though! I have designed a couple of websites already, and am working on a couple of corporate logos at the moment.

The hardest part really was getting a job. There are a lot of companies who are not interested after hearing where you have been, regardless of what it was for or your abilities to do the job. Anyway, despite this I kept battling and applying for positions, getting knockback after knockback, but I was determined to sort something out, and came lucky with a small company, which looks to be going big in the not too distant future! I have a small team of people working under me, and we already have a queue of local businesses wanting to get themselves a presence on the Net.

I'll keep you up to date with how things are progressing anyway, I bet you thought that I wouldn’t drop you a line!!

I hope things are going well in shop 7 - What can I say? I hear that the newspaper system in the library is still going well, which is great to hear! Long may it continue! Well, I'll sign off now, just going out for a curry and a beer!

Speak to you soon. Regards, Adrian.�

22 November 2005

Whitechapel Middle School near Bradford sent a thank you letter to our Yorkshire & North West Regional Administrator, Carmel Dylak, for large print books that inmates in HMP Wolds produced:

“Dear Carmel, Thank you once again for the books, everyone at school is thrilled with them, especially Steven, as you will see from his letter (pictured right). Please pass on our thanks and be sure that more work will be coming your way very shortly.�

 

 

 

10 November 2005

We are always delighted to receive feedback from inmates in Inside Out Trust Workshops. Here is some we received recently from two lads in HMP Chelmsford’s Woodwork Shop, telling us how they feel about the work they are doing:

Lee:
“My name is Lee and I’m currently at HMP Chelmsford. I’m working in Workshop 3 which is a woodwork shop. We make bird tables, hedgehog boxes and loads of other things. There are two officers in Workshop 3 called Gerry and Mark. They are very good people to work with. If you are stuck with anything they’re there to help. Once in the workshop you must put your boots on and wear them at all times. We get the wood and other materials from a charity called Inside Out Trust. Simon Gee comes into the workshop about 2 times a week.�

Eddie:
“We can make almost anything in the workshop, it is a good environment to be in – nice and relaxed – and we all get on well with each other. We would all like to say ‘thank you’ to the Inside Out Trust for giving us this opportunity to make things for the local community.�

Lee:
“Well, I think this is a great place for inmates to be in an environment like this so we all would like to say thanks to all the organisations for a good chance in life. Many thanks on behalf of all of Workshop 3.�

20 October 2005

From North Nottinghamshire Bat Group, to Simon Gee, East Regional Co-ordinator:

"Dear Simon, We received fifty bat boxes from Peter Maule of the Warwickshire Bat Group on 25th September 2005. We would like to send our thanks, and appreciation for all the hard work and effort given, to the inmates of HMP Chelmsford (Workshop 1).

Many thanks also to the Inside Out Trust, for their kind and generous work for bat conservation. The bat group had planned to site the bat boxes in Clumber Park, just south of Worksop. 180 bat boxes were in there already. Most of those were put up 12-15 years ago. About 3 years ago we started to replace them, and up to now, about one-third had been swapped. Your donation will speed up our progress a lot.

The North Notts Bat Group would like to wish all thos involved in this very worthwhile project the very best for the future, and hope that this is the start of something very important.

Yours sincerely, Geoff Garratt, NNBG Bat Box Coordinator."

2 August 2005

From Sutton Visual Impairment Service to Simon Parsons, our London & South East Regional Co-ordinator:

“Dear Simon, this letter is to inform you of our great appreciation for the truly wonderful resource that HMP Wandsworth provide for us in producing large print books for visually impaired youngsters. While I am aware that it certainly has a tremendous therapeutic value for the inmates who produce the work, I can also assure you that it is also greatly appreciated by us, as a service, and of course the visually impaired youngsters who are able to read these books. I am given to understand that it is through your generosity that both parties are able to benefit this way. With many grateful thanks indeed.�

22 July 2005

Click here to read a letter which was sent from a women's refuge in East Anglia, to inmates working in HMP Chelmsford's Carpentry Workshop.

18 May 2005

This letter was sent to our London & South East Regional Office in Maidstone, from one of our beneficiaries, The Heart of Kent Hospice:

"Thank you so much for organising the refurbishment of the garden furniture at The Heart of Kent Hospice. Everyone is absolutely delighted with the new sparkling chairs, benches and tables. We consider the garden to be an integral part of the Hospice as it is our "outside room" and brings much joy and comfort to our patients and their families. Please pass on our grateful thanks to all involved at Rochester prison for their time, skill and hard work.

The Heart of Kent Hospice supports Maidstone and the surrounding area and is only able to fundraise within this boundary... We are dependent upon the support of the community in order to continue our care and we are indebted to everyone at the Inside Out Trust and HMP Rochester for your support."