Funding announced for Media Access Project
Station House Media Unit (shmu) has secured a major funding boost of £896,326 from the Big Lottery Fund which will allow it to extend its work within the criminal justice sector with a 5-year media project based in HMP &YOI Grampian.
The funding will enable shmu to work in partnership with the prison and a broad range of other relevant statutory and voluntary sector partners to develop the first cross-platform, peer-led, Creative Media Unit within a UK prison. The Unit will offer a range of innovative opportunities for beneficiaries to engage in a radio station; training in all aspects of filmmaking; a magazine production suite; and a music production programme.
Working with all sections of the prison population – young offenders as well as adult male and female prisoners - the primary aim of the project is to reduce the re-offending rates of prisoners released back into the community. This will be achieved by increasing the core and life skills of participants through active engagement and training in a range of media based opportunities during their term in prison. It will also include the provision of an intensive support package in preparation for and during their reintegration back into the community. The ultimate aim is to support participants on to a positive destination – a job, education, further training or a volunteering opportunity.
The project has been developed as a result of extensive research and full consultation with a range of agencies together with input from serving prisoners. It follows on from current and previous projects led by shmu in the criminal justice sector, including ADJUST [Aberdeen Delivering Joined Up Service Transitions] an Aberdeen City based multi-agency approach to reducing re-offending, funded by the Robertson Trust.
The project has fully embraced the feedback from serving prisoners who participated in taster sessions with comments including; “I would like to show the younger ones that are easily led like I was that they don’t need to act like that”; ““I enjoyed myself, I learned new skills”; “It’s really encouraging to see different people’s talents”; “Providing an incentive for change made me determined to put more effort into it”.
Welcoming the news of the award, shmu Chief Executive Murray Dawson said “This is fantastic news and will enable us to refine the work we have already undertaken in the prison and develop it further over a reasonable time period. We have a proven track record of using a range of media platforms in a number of communities to produce life changing results. This project will give us the scope to develop our expertise further in a prison environment and we are extremely confident that the project will have a significant impact and will transform the lives of those who take part.”
George Peden, Head of Offender Outcomes at HMP & YOI Grampian was equally pleased with the news: "HMP & YOI Grampian are delighted that funding has been secured for this innovative work with an established community partner who have extensive expertise in this field. The project will give prisoners the opportunity to practise and learn new skills, increase their confidence and self-esteem with meaningful learning, training and vocational opportunities that enhance their opportunities on return to the community.”
The shmu grant was one of 11 projects sharing in £5,717,872 from the Fund’s Investing in Communities programme announced today.
Big Lottery Fund Scotland Chair, Maureen McGinn, said: “I am delighted that Station House Media Unit is one of the latest groups to receive an award from our Investing in Communities fund. This is life changing money that will benefit those people and communities most in need. This grant will make a big difference where it is needed most and I wish shmu every success as it goes on to develop and expand its project.”
