Last month I, alongside the rest of the Beyond Recovery team, attended the 3PUK Conference in north London. It is the biggest conference of its kind and attracts Three Principles practitioners from across the globe and a staggering range of fields, pursuits, and professions.

I am relatively new to the Three Principles understanding, so I viewed this conference as a handy way to grasp the fundamentals better. The first thing that struck me about the conference was how incredibly light-hearted and welcoming the attendees, and the organisers were. I reckon it might be impossible to have spent a day at the conference and not make at least one new friend!

For me, the conference’s highlights weren’t the superstar speakers in the main hall, although they were great. The best nuggets of wisdom I heard shared were in the breakout rooms, where panellists with some shared niche would share how the principles impacted and guided their work and their lives. I attended talks on topics ranging from how the principles interface with different religions, how they can be utilised to help children’s mental health, how the principles can shape our understanding of conflict, and how they can uplift and empower the homeless. I could even attend a virtual event held in German, as there were many non-English talks for the burgeoning international Three Principles community. 

Even while getting coffee during the breaks, I had the opportunity to share some very interesting conversations with the other attendees, all of whom brought their own unique perspectives and understandings to the table. 

After three jam-packed days of talks, I truly feel like I understand the Three Principles more than ever before. However, as Socrates famously said, the more I know, the more I realise I don’t yet know…

Thom McLaughlin

Beyond Recovery is thrilled to have been successful in its grant application for the National Lottery AFA Community Fund.

AFA (Awards for All) supports smaller charities and community-led groups to prosper and thrive. Its aim is to help them to recover, rebuild and grow following the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Beyond Recovery Street Project will have a lasting impact on the community and help it to thrive. We will be posting more about it soon, so watch this space!

Jacqueline Hollows, founder of social enterprise Beyond Recovery, has been included in this year’s NatWest WISE100 list. Now in its fifth year, the Wise (Women In Social Enterprise) 100 List is produced annually by Pioneers Post with Natwest Social & Community Capital. It recognises the most inspiring and influential women in social enterprise, impact investment and mission-driven business.

WISE WOMEN

The WISE100 celebration took place on 18th March as a daytime event which included time for networking, a panel discussion, and the awards announcements.

Megan Virrels, CEO of NatWest Social  & Community Capital, said: “We are so pleased to welcome our 2022 cohort of WISE100 Women and congratulate them on their place in this year’s list. Against the pandemic backdrop of the past two years, nominations have remained strong, with exceptional times also generating many stories of exceptional leadership.”

HONOURED

Jacqueline commented: “I want to congratulate the winners and every woman on the list. It’s still tough to be in business as a woman, and these awards show that we are making a difference and bringing a ton of value to the sector. I watched online as the winners received their awards, and I was moved to tears by the encouragement and inspiration of every leader.”

For more information about the WISE100 list and awards, click here.

Beyond Recovery has won a new contract with HMP Gartree in Leicestershire via the MOJ’s Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). The team is delighted that, through the agreement, it can deliver motivational talks and workshops to prison residents.

Derrick Mason, a returned citizen and now a director of Beyond Recovery, is excited to present his story to long-term residents of Gartree prison. He will let them know that hope and potential are just one thought away.

Derrick’s note to the residents reads:

“Through my experience as a returned citizen facing many obstacles and issues with changing my life, I realise much of it was to do with my mindset and the barriers I created myself. Although those barriers still exist, by listening to my true self, I can see and access all my good qualities while understanding that my past behaviours don’t make me who I am now. I can choose to see these things, and once I truly felt them, other people started to see them in me. Even when others couldn’t see it, I didn’t let it bother me because I better understood where my wellbeing comes from. 

“It may sound funny, but I had never seen it like that before; it was just another one of my personal barriers that I now see through! For the first time in my life, at the age of 50, I knew I wasn’t broken, and I could see and feel that I didn’t need to commit crimes anymore. I just knew I had a choice.”

Groundbreaking provision

Beyond Recovery will provide groundbreaking Distance Learning materials, motivational talks and workshops to help residents tap into their wellbeing and resilience. This, in turn, will enable them to find peace of mind while serving long sentences.

The materials created by Beyond Recovery empower reflective self-efficacy. They help individuals find ways of coming to terms with their behaviours and move on productively to live pro-social lives.

Jacqueline Hollows, founder of Beyond Recovery, said:

“I’m delighted that we have been awarded this opportunity. I look forward to a collaborative relationship with HMP Gartree, supporting their residents, enabling stronger family relationships and creating safer communities.”