“The reward it brings is far greater than anything you could ever anticipate”

What it’s like to volunteer with the Breakthrough team

Written by Lucy Hart

It was in the very early hours of a late November morning when Emma, a City solicitor, found herself tramping through deep snow “like a yeti” to make it across London in time. The snow had unexpectedly carpeted London overnight, making her journey from North to South even more challenging than expected: the buses were barely running; the tubes weren’t going anywhere, so overland trains, a delayed bus, and finally, on foot, it was. 

“Rory was so relieved to see me. It was a test of endurance and resilience even to get there. It gave me a good, real life example to use when we talked with the guys about ‘finding your purpose’. This idea that we all face barriers and knockbacks, and it’s easy to give up too early, but 95% of success is showing up.”

The guys Emma was there to see were a group of prisoners taking part in Breakthrough’s programme at Isis prison. She joined the team in our prison and community programmes as a volunteer to deliver training in soft skills – confidence, purpose and tenacity – and today talks to us about her experience. 

What was your previous experience of the prison system?

I didn’t have any previous experience of it – I’d never been to prison, never visited one. My only knowledge of it was theoretical, from studying criminal law in my education and of course through TV.

What made you want to get involved?

I saw one of Dee’s posts on LinkedIn, which was a callout for volunteers. It asked something like “Could you deliver programme content? We’ve got the material but need enthusiastic, committed trainers”, and it was in the context of getting ex-prisoners into the workplace. 

I messaged to say that this is the sort of thing I can do, and explained my background. As well as my “day job”, I have a broader remit in terms of skills in that as a “side hustle” I’m a certified mindfulness teacher, and stress and resilience coach. I felt that this, combined with my business skills – communication, time management, goal setting, prioritisation etc –might provide an opportunity to offer some of that expertise to those who didn’t have the advantage of all this training and wider personal development as part and parcel of their education and career. 

While I’ve never worked in criminal law, I’ve always had a real interest in the criminal justice system. Something just piqued my interest in the post – it spoke to my soul a bit. 

What was your first impression of the guys you worked with?

Honestly? How young they were. And then, even after a short period of time with them, it was clear to me how sharp and astute their brains were with  a high level of analytical thinking, innate curiosity and speed of critical thought. . 

I also found it very sad – tremendously so and still do. If they had been dealt a different hand in life, or perhaps born into a different postcode, they could be somewhere else entirely now. In another universe/in another lifetime they could have been city bankers, lawyers, like me. 

How did you feel about going into a prison environment as a volunteer?

To be honest, I wasn’t nervous going into a prison, so much as intrigued. My only concern was that I might unwittingly take in some contraband – there are loads of things you can’t take into a prison, like a laptop unless it’s vetted, a mobile phone are perhaps obvious examples but the outright ban on chewing gum and blue tack hadn’t previously occurred to me and I was worried I might have a few pieces of spearmint gum at the bottom of my bag which could have blown the whole initiative before it had even started!

There’s always some fear of the unknown – on the course, we talk about the correlation between nerves and how prepared we feel – but I’d prepped my content well. It’s tricky logistically because you don’t know what kit you will or won’t have: Breakthrough has a laptop, but we didn’t know if we’d have a projector, or be allowed a flipchart. And three hours in a smallish room, locked in, is rather intense by anyone’s standards – let’s say, prisons aren’t adept at dealing with extremes of temperature (and I’ve had both ends of the spectrum in Isis) . But once you’ve done it once, you’re ready for the next time and can prepare accordingly.

Then there were the normal nerves about meeting new people, but I’d say no different between the community and the prison groups. I know that’s not true for everyone – some volunteers find it nerve wracking to go into the prison environment but I never did. I felt fully safe; I had great faith in Breakthrough and knew they wouldn’t bring me into a situation where I would feel unwelcome or disrespected. 

What was your experience of volunteering inside a prison?

I had no preconceived ideas of what I would get out of it, largely because I’d been focused on preparing the content and working out the logistics. I tried to land a few key points with them: that showing up, literally and figuratively, is fundamental to success; that you need to have your purpose, and take actions that align with that; that there might be an easier route but what do you want to be known for? What’s your ‘why’? And they might not feel the benefit of those lessons right now, but I wanted to plant the seeds so that if one of them was struggling with feelings of rejection later on, there might be that little voice in their head.

And the way they described the impact of my time with them – they were so grateful to me for giving up my time and effort; for investing in their future and their success when I didn’t even know them at the start. It’s been magic to experience that feeling that I might have made a difference, by putting a few ingredients in the mix that will inform the path they take. I am really proud of the evolution I saw in the associates even in the time I was working with them. I want to know what happens next – this is the first chapter in their new lives. I want them to know that we have their back; that we are here and they can reach out and use us. I’m invested.

The prison is an environment in which everything is magnified, because no one is really coming in from the outside, so I thanked the associates for letting me in, and for the openness they offered. I felt honoured to be trusted with their confidence. 

How do you reflect on it now?

I’d say that it is really worth being involved in; the reward it brings is far beyond what you might anticipate. You can’t underestimate that feeling that you might have made a difference, however slight. And it struck me how special – how unique - that is for those of us not in caring professions, where maybe there is more of that on a daily basis. 

It also helps you look at things from a fresh place – like speaking to new people always does. It keeps you open minded, being in that diversity of people; keeps you constantly learning, to be better and do better. 

The first cohort asked if I would attend their graduation. The Breakthrough team said that the reason they want you there is not just because of your skill in delivering the content, but because you’ve been able to break down some of the barriers between them and ‘successful’ people. You’ve opened up and shared your personal experience. 

Truly, this is  one of the best things I’ve ever done.