As we step into the season of goodwill, I want to shine a spotlight on Fine Cell Work, the charity working with prisoners to rebuild their lives through exceptional needlework

The main aim of Fine Cell Work is to rehabilitate UK prisoners and prison leavers, breaking the cycle of re-offending through the transformative power of needlework programmes.

The charity provides training so that the skilled stitchers are then paid to produce meaningful work during the interminable hours when they are locked in their cells. This decreases prisoners’ isolation and anxiety, improves mental health and gives a sense of purpose and achievement along with the opportunity to contribute to the community.

As well as cushions, quilts, linens and gifts that can be purchased form the Fine Cell Work website the charity collaborates with interior designers to create bespoke pieces for residential and hospitality projects.

In the last 27 years, Fine Cell Work has worked with over 8,500 people in prison and post release with the average length of engagement around two years, teaching real skills that can be used in the outside world.

And it works. In 2017 Fine Cell Work established the Open the Gate programme to support prisoners post-release. This has been very successful with only a 2% reoffending rate (against a national average of 46%) and over 30% of participants going into work (against a national average of 17%) and10% into vocational training.