About us
Faith, Voluntary and Community Sector Alliance
Faith groups and the voluntary sector are well placed to help us deliver services and support that can help reduce crime.
They can bring valuable local knowledge, expertise, specialist skills and a fresh and innovative approach to working with offenders.
Many faith groups and voluntary sector organisations are already working with offenders in prisons and with local communities. Their work benefits not only the offender and his or her family, but also the prison and probation services and our society as a whole.
The Faith and Voluntary and Community Sector Alliance will promote the growth of this work in the wider community by encouraging people to work collaboratively to tackle the causes of social exclusion and criminal activity.
Practical support, pastoral advice and mentoring provided by members of diverse local communities will be an important part of this.
Faith, Voluntary and Community Alliance in action
Strong links have been built between NOMS and the London-based charity Pecan (new window), which runs the innovative Work Out (new window) project, helping ex-offenders find stable employment.
Pecan is closely supported by the London Regional Offender Manager and the ROM office. Pecan Chief Executive Kevin Belcher says Work Out recruits mentors from London churches to assist the charity with the help they give to ex-offenders.
The mentors and other Work Out staff:
-
help to contact offenders while they're in prison and provide mentoring support
-
job coach offenders on a one-to-one basis to help them find permanent work
-
help with offenders' housing and other needs.
