Centre aids prison families

Belfield Children's Centre in Rochdale was presented with the FamilyLearning Festival Award by children's minister Beverley Hughes.

The centre held a 'Family Friendly Prison Week' of activities, such asface painting and photo-frame making, at HMP Buckley Hall prison.

The charity Campaign for Learning, which runs the awards, found that formany prisoners, it was the first occasion on which they had spent timewith their family since they were sentenced.

Rachael El Weshahi, leader of Belfield Children's Centre, said, 'We weredoing a mapping of the area and found the prison was in our area. Wegave them a call and before we knew it, we were in there delivering aservice.'

The centre recently held its second week of activities and is planning athird event for August. It plans to hold three events a year.

'We want dads to spend some time with their children, while beinginvolved in fun activities as a whole family. The purpose is toeventually assist integration back into family life on release,' said MsEl Weshahi. 'We also have a member of staff from the centre who visitsthe prison every Wednesday afternoon and talks to prisoners about thecentre and other family services they can use when they leaveprison.'

Belfield has now been contacted by a prison in Preston, asking foradvice on how set up similar links with children's centres there.

Stuart Jenkins, head of interventions at Buckley Hall prison, said itwas 'fantastic to see the families being able to engage in funopportunities together'.

Zoe Gan-Rankin, corporate development manager for Partners of Prisonersand Families Support Group, said it was vital that centres that have aremit to work with children 'begin to shift their focus to the needs ofoffenders' children. All agencies working in the criminal justice systemand the community have a role to play in ensuring these children are notpunished for their parent's offence.'