Our aimsWandsworth Prison Welfare Trust has three key aims:
- Helping men to pass their days productively and peacefully
- Improving literacy and confidence with written material
- Providing supportive resources to men who are finding it hard to cope
How you can help
Donate money
Donate items
Fundraising
The things we buy are not expensive - art and craft materials, playing cards, chess pieces, reading glasses. We purchase simple things which can be given out freely.
Books, jigsaws and DVDs can be very expensive to buy new, but they provide hours of peaceful, calming time. We also want to provide good clothing for men leaving the prison.
A sponsored walk or a tea in the park for friends can raise enough money to help many people. Just £12 buys a windup radio or 12 glue sticks. We make a little money to go a long way!
For more information on donating items or fundraising for us, please get in contact via our social media channels or email us
info@wpwt.org.uk
Our Story
The ideas behind WPWT began with the first Covid lockdown in 2020. When most administration staff in the prison had to stay at home, a few came in and - along with the Chaplains and a couple of volunteers - began an improvised production line making games. We also made a public appeal for books and art materials - and were swamped thanks to lock down clear outs!
We made chess and backgammon boards, snakes & ladders and ludo boards. We made Scrabble in five languages and photocopied colouring sheets, crosswords and sudoku. Generous donors and the prison authorities gave us small grants and we bought what we couldn’t beg for - felt tips in bulk, playing cards, chess pieces and counters in bulk. We had enough books to keep 14 book trolleys full and interesting - we were even able to supply books for four other prisons.
Better times came with the easing of the pandemic, but we agreed that what were doing was still important and needed. So we decided to form a charity - and the Wandsworth Prison Welfare Trust was born.
What We Do
Wandsworth Prison Welfare Trust works to provide prisoners with basic amenities and services, giving them the best chance of rehabilitation and successful reintegration into society.
We work to find simple materials which can be given freely and provide constructive and interesting activities. For example: jigsaws, art materials, colouring, wooden construction toys, matches and glue for craft.
We want all the men to be able to read, to get used to the weight of a book and build the confidence and concentration to keep going. So we provide thrillers and adventure books, reading material for starters, spectacles for reading, dictionaries in English and many other languages.
We would like men to practice social skills and learn quiet ways to make friends, so we source games and enable spaces to play them: chess, dominos, playing cards, connect four, etc.
Finally, we collect decent clothing for men leaving the prison so that they are ready for a new beginning. Key items are good waterproof coats and trainers washed and in good condition. We also collect other items as needed.
All help and support with this is gratefully received.
