Beyond Recovery apprentice, Dave Saunders (pictured left), joined colleagues Louise Scott and Paul Lock at the recent Clinks ‘Insiders View’ event, organised to showcase the life-changing work of the voluntary sector working in criminal justice. Just over 12 months since his release from prison, Dave is an integral part of the Beyond Recovery team and his life has changed beyond recognition. Here, he reflects on his recent experience.
Insider’s View
Alongside his job working on a building site, Dave supports Beyond Recovery; as a facilitator and a speaker. He goes into prison to share what he’s learnt with great impact and he does inspiring talks at key events, such as the 2019 Three Principles Conference. On December 9th, Dave attended the ‘Insiders View’ event at Mansion House, London, to represent Beyond Recovery. Afterwards, he shared his thoughts on the experience.
“Yesterday was such a great day. It was a brilliant experience and such a big learning curve… I was speaking to a High Court Judge who only deals with murder and terrorist cases, and she was telling a story … Seeing things from a judge’s perspective was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Incredible.”
Showcasing our work
Beyond Recovery chose an original and impactful way to showcase the team’s work in prison. They displayed portraits of former prisoners, including Dave, by artist and Beyond Recovery facilitator, Paul Lock. Paul’s striking artwork was accompanied by audio recordings of the men telling personal stories of how working with Beyond Recovery in prison changed their lives.
Dave went on to say: “This [Beyond Recovery] family is literally limitless. One of the first lessons Genghis Khan learnt from his mum was about sticking together … when there’s a group of you, it’s harder to break. And that’s like us isn’t it? There are so many opportunities that open-up together. I’m just feeling grateful today for everything – even the photos [I looked at] on my phone this morning of the sunset… I’m just grateful that I’m in a place where I can appreciate it and I’m not caught up.”
Click below to hear more from Dave in his own words.
