I first trained as a Shannon Trust mentor in March 2014 at HMP Liverpool. Since then, I have gone on to support approximately 22 learners.
While I was at HMP Liverpool, I was asked if I wanted to be a Samaritans listener. I did the training and really enjoyed the role of being able to help people. My keyworker suggested I might want to become a Shannon Trust mentor too. I hadn’t heard of the Shannon Trust before, but I was willing to give it a try.
I enjoyed the mentor training – it was actually ‘Toe by Toe’ then and a full day of training. I felt motivated to get started and fortunately within a couple of days I was approached by an enthusiastic learner. He was 31 years old with 6 months left of his sentence and wanted to be able to read to his children when he got home. This challenge inspired us both to work through the programme together and meant that I didn’t have chance to feel nervous or worried about my role.
Many prisoners feel a stigma and sense of shame about not being able to read. I try and break down this barrier. I tell them “Anyone can read, I will help you.” The relationship with a learner is really important – I try to have a laugh and a joke with them and make it a positive experience for them. Being able to do sessions away from the classroom also helps prisoners to feel more comfortable.
Being a Shannon Trust mentor has given me so much confidence. People might not believe it, but I didn’t used to be confident. Now, I can speak up for myself but more importantly I can speak up for others.
Being a listener and a Shannon Trust mentor gave me the confidence to set up a Care-Leavers Support Group. This is something very close to my heart and being able to support others with similar experiences has been incredible.
I am due to move to Cat D very soon. I hope that I can continue to be able to help people there in whatever roles I can. If there is need for a Shannon Trust mentor, then I would certainly like to continue helping people to read. I am also hoping to continue supporting HMPPS with help for care-leavers.
Lived experience is so important and I will use my experience in any way I can to help others.
There have been many moments of frustration with regimes, access, expectations but these are all far outweighed by seeing someone change their life by being able to read. I have seen prisoners who have gone on to be able to read to their children, achieve their Cat C/parole, become drug free, and even one who became a mentor himself.
The moments that will always stay with me are the joy you experience when you give a learner their final certificate for completing the programme. Often those who can’t read have been overlooked or ignored. They will say “nobody wants to help me” but I say, “I will.”
On 21 June 2024, I was shocked to be awarded the Tom Shannon ‘Mentor of the Year’ Award for 2024. It is not very often I am speechless! To have what I’ve achieved, and what the men I’ve worked with have achieved, be recognised nationally is overwhelming. The room was full of staff and it was great to see their support for the Shannon Trust, but what meant the most was to see some of my previous learners there, feeling proud of their achievements. I will remember that day forever.
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