"The club that no-one wanted to join"

In June 2024, Prisoners Abroad received a fantastic £20,000 from the National Lottery Awards for All (England) programme to help fund our work with people affected by the imprisonment of a relative overseas, and specifically for the delivery of our family support groups.  

The Lottery funding has helped us in the running of a range of support groups, both in-person and online to help us reach as many people as possible. A dedicated community of volunteers run eight regional groups across the UK, facilitating a safe, non-judgmental environment for the relatives of people in prison abroad to speak openly about their situation and form connections with others experiencing similar difficulties.  

Alongside the regular regional groups, over the last year we have delivered four ‘themed’ online sessions on topics such as dealing with the long-term imprisonment of a relative, preparing for release, and information about prisoner transfer policies. A further seven country-specific groups were held, for which we invited people with a relative held in a specific region or country such as Spain, Australia, USA and UAE. The Prisoners Abroad team were joined by regional consular staff which provided families with a unique opportunity to ask specific questions about their relative’s situation.  

No one can ever understand the mental stress and isolation caused by having a loved one in prison, especially long term. To be able to exchange some kind words of support even in the short time online feels [like] I am supported to carry on and, in my case, have some hope of seeing my son whilst I am alive.

– Attendee at a group focused on dealing with long-term imprisonment

In developing the project, we held a focus group with our support group volunteers in December 2023 to discover what being a part of the Prisoners Abroad community means to them, what they observe at support groups, any developments they would like to see happen, and how they cope with the emotional impact of volunteering.  

I have seen firsthand how important it is for people who attend the group to be part of this ‘club that no-one wanted to join’, as it’s been described to me.

– Family support group volunteer  

Over the last year, people who have attended our family support groups have reported how they have had a positive impact on their very difficult situation. 90% reported feeling less isolated by attending a group, and people also said that the groups helped them to share their experiences and get support from other families.   

I felt so isolated and shunned by some of my own family members and friends, this non-judgmental environment was refreshing. It helped me to keep positive at a time when things looked so dark.

 – Mother of a someone we are supporting in prison 

Our project was made possible thanks to #NationalLottery players.