Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 908 | 14 November 2025

Light lunch

In this issue...

CLINKS NEWS: Clinks Annual Conference 2026

Early bird rate tickets for voluntary sector members are available until [28 November]. 

Join us for "Stronger Together: Celebrating Community, Championing Progress" [28 January 2026 | Conway Hall, London | £60 - £130]. This is Clinks' biggest event of the year, bringing together voluntary organisations working in the criminal justice system from across England and Wales.

This year's theme, Stronger Together: Celebrating Community, Championing Progress, reflects the heart of our sector; the power of collaboration, connection, and shared purpose. Expect a day filled with:

  • Inspiring speakers and sector leaders
  • Insightful discussions on the key issues shaping our work
  • Opportunities to connect, collaborate, and celebrate achievements across our community

More details, speakers, and programme announcements coming soon! Tickets are on sale now. Book your place here!

CLINKS EVENT: Area engagement - criminal justice forums

Clinks is inviting voluntary sector organisations working in the criminal justice system to join our upcoming Area Engagement Criminal Justice Forums.

These events offer a chance to meet the Clinks team, hear updates about area engagement and policy work, and explore how your organisation can build connections with local partners such as Prisons and Probation.

Whether you’re a small grassroots project or a larger charity, these forums are a valuable opportunity to network, share good practice and discuss challenges in delivering services in the criminal justice system.

Upcoming forums:

  • London: Mon 1 December, 10:00-12:00: Book here
  • North East; Yorks & Humber: Tue 2 December, 13:30-15:30: Book here
  • South East & East: Wed 3 December, 13:30-15:30: Book here
  • South West & South Central: Tue 9 December, 10:00-12:00: Book here
  • Midlands: Thu 11 December, 10:00-12:00: Book here
  • North West: Thu 11 December, 14:00-16:00: Book here
  • Wales: Tue 16 December, 10:00-12:00: Book here

MEMBER FOCUS: Your Consultation Group CIC

Your Consultation Group (YCG) began life in 2015 as a Peer-Led Initiative (PLI), designed by founder, Raff Esposito. While in prison he completed his law degree and set about making an impact in his community.

With support and funding from Senior Managers at HMP Oakwood, Raff set up the PLI. The programme has enabled thousands of people in prison to engage with their sentence planning and effectively prepare to re-integrate into society.

From these beginnings, YCG Trust was born. Find out more

CLINKS MEMBER’S EVENT: The voices of Restorative Justice

Join Why me? this Restorative Justice Week for a unique event [20 November, 13:00 - 14:30, online, free] that will offer an insight into the minds of people who have been through the Restorative Justice process.

For the past year and a half, Why me? have been curating an archive of stories, recording 20 years of Restorative Justice in the UK. Through oral history interviews, we have gathered the experiences of a range of people who have been harmed by crime, people who have caused harm and professionals working in the sector. The collection will be archived in the British Library for decades to come, but this launch event will offer a chance to hear a selection of these powerful stories for the first time.

A panel of experts by experience will share their own stories of Restorative Justice. Find out more and get your tickets here

CLINKS MEMBER’S TRAINING: Challenging welfare decisions

This CPD Accredited "Challenging Welfare Decisions" full-day training course [16 December, online, £139 + VAT] helps frontline staff navigate complex processes and advocate confidently for clients facing benefit-related challenges. It will cover mandatory reconsiderations, appeals, supersessions, and complaints. Book here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: Small grant opportunities

His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has a number of small grants opportunities. Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations operating and registered in UK are eligible to apply. The applications will be open on Find a Grant from [17 November – 5 December, 15:00]. The gran opportunities include:

Three grant funding opportunities are available at HMP High Down

  • Knife Crime prevention: organisations specialising in knife crime prevention are invited to deliver sessions that will include targeted education around the consequences of knife crime. Available funding: £20,000.
  • Substance Misuse prevention: the programme should feature a motivational speaker with lived experience of recovery, who will lead group sessions and provide tailored one-to-one support. Available funding: £20,000.
  • Art projects tailored to the interests and developmental needs of young adults in custody. Available funding £10,000

Two grant funding opportunities are available at North West Probation region

  • tailored support for individuals from minority ethnic communities in Cumbria. This grant will help to pilot new ways of working, gather insights, and establish a foundation for more comprehensive and inclusive support within the Criminal Justice System across this region. Available funding £20,000
  • a service mapping exercise that will outline existing services for minority ethnic communities in the county of Cheshire. This activity will help to understand the specific needs and barriers faced by these communities and inform future service delivery models. Available funding £20,000

Five grant opportunities in Cardiff

  • These grants aim to strengthen community-based approaches to rehabilitation within the Cardiff and Vale Probation Delivery Unit. HMPPS invite proposals from organisations based in Splott, Llanrumney, and Ely. Each project can receive up to £5,000 in funding.

FUNDING: Voices from the frontline fund

Rosa's 'Voices from the Frontline Fund' is open to applications for grants of [up to £10k over 18 months] to women's and girls' organisations. This is to support campaigning and influencing work that enables women and girls to use their voice to achieve change.

In its eighth year of running this fund, Rosa is proud to champion the campaigning and influencing work that women's and girls' organisations do. These organisations are at the forefront of addressing social issues, and Rosa believes that change comes about when women and girls who have lived experience of injustice and inequality are heard. They are hosting two 'How to Apply' webinars on [10 and 27 November]. Deadline for applications is [16:00, 9 December]. Find out more and apply here

FUNDING: Ideas and pioneers fund

The Paul Hamlyn Foundation's 'Ideas and Pioneers Fund' is open to applications. This fund supports individuals and groups who want to explore ideas for social change. Providing grants of [up to £20k] and a flexible support package, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation wants to back people who have a personal connection to the issue they wish to work on, and they want to prioritise funding to applicants aged 18-30. They want to fund emerging ideas that challenge injustice and have long-term potential. Deadline for applications is [13:00, 2 December]. Find out more and apply here

PUBLICATION: Prisons and Imprisonment in Wales 2024 Factfile

The Wales Governance centre at Cardiff University has published its latest "Prisons and Imprisonment in Wales 2024 Factfile". Report author Dr Robert Jones, based at the University’s School of Law and Politics said: “This analysis shows that 2024 was another difficult year for prisons in Wales" with the latest prison data analysis underlining the need for a “radically different approach”.

Concerningly, new analysis shows that the number of Welsh women in prison increased for the fourth consecutive year in 2024. The report also highlights that those from racially minoritised backgrounds in Wales are once again over-represented at different stages of the criminal justice system in Wales. Read the report here

CLINKS MEMBERS’ VACANCIES:

Volunteer Helpline Advisor with Unlock [voluntary, Maidstone, Kent, part time]; Community Keyworker – Hampshire with ADVANCE [£23,000 – £27,000, Portsmouth, full time]; Prison Facilitator – HMP Bristol with Shannon Trust [£28,274, HMP Bristol, part time]; Therapeutic Recovery Worker with Phoenix Futures [£26,637, OX5 1PB, full time]; Group Facilitator with Change, grow, live (CGL) [£27,861 – £32,002, HMP Liverpool, full time]; Steering Group Members with Restorative Justice for All International Institute [voluntary, SE16, part time]; Non-Executive Director – Treasurer with Restorative Justice for All International Institute [£50, remote/UK/EU, part time]; Non-Executive Director with Restorative Justice for All International Institute [voluntary, SE16 2LJ, part time]; Family Support Worker – HMP Norwich with Ormiston Families [£22,932, HMP Norwich, part time]; Support Worker – Lived Experience with Practice Plus Group [£25,382 – £29,562, Doncaster DN4 5HZ, part time].

For more information about these vacancies, and many more, click here

READS OF THE WEEK:

EXTRA INFORMATION:

About Clinks Light Lunch

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