We are funding a project run by the Prison Phoenix Trust which helps young offenders manage stress, improve their mental health, and deal better with life’s challenges outside the prison walls.
The Prison Phoenix Trust teaches and supports inmates in the practice of yoga and meditation, which involves focusing on the body’s movements and breathing. By regularly attending classes and practicing yoga, inmates learn to relax and focus on reducing anxiety and stress while living in a restricted, crowded environment.
A different future
Jason Doble, Deputy Director at the Prison Phoenix Trust, says: “Prisons hold some of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable members of society, with a high percentage of inmates suffering from mental health issues. Because of the stigma and effects of imprisonment, they often continue a cycle of crime. Thanks to funding from the Halcrow Foundation we hope to halt that cycle, offering prisoners the tools of yoga and meditation to find out who they really are and choose a different future.”
Halcrow Foundation funding will support young offenders in the UK by helping the Prison Phoenix Trust provide regular yoga classes run by qualified teachers. Funds will also be spent on providing books, CDs and ongoing support to help prisoners maintain yoga practice within their cells, as well as a quarterly newsletter aimed at prisoners, ex-prisoners and the charity’s supporters.
You can find out more about this project here.
