BACO plants a special tree at HMP Aylesbury

BACO was delighted to plant a tree on 8^th December with the help of men from HMP Aylesbury. A plaque was installed dedicating it to Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy initiative which encourages tree planting across the UK marking The late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee earlier this year and we were thrilled to be joined by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire and BACO President, The Countess Howe. The 3m tall Mulberry tree, kindly gifted by BACO member Annabel Briggs was installed in the garden within the prison grounds where it will be enjoyed by the men and staff for many years to come. The men have crafted a wonderful raised bed around it from reclaimed stone from a chimney which was due to go to landfill, and the tree itself bears a tag as a token of thanks to Annabel Briggs. The tree planting was kindly facilitated by Neil Hawes Industries Manager at HMP Aylesbury and attended by the High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, BACO members and committee members as well as Neil Hawes, Hannah Young Head of Reducing Reoffending at HMP Aylesbury and 15 men from the prison who work in the gardens.

BACO awarded £5,000 from Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner’s Community Fund

In October, BACO Trustee Ruth Farwell collected a cheque for £5,000 from Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber and Chief Constable John Campbell, at a presentation event in Reading. This was an award from the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner’s Community Fund.

2022 Koestler Awards Announced

The 2022 Koestler Awards for the Arts in Criminal Justice Settings have been announced. The competition started 60 years ago, and received entries this year from over 3,500 individuals from approximately 300 prisons, young offender institutions, secure hospitals, children’s homes and immigration removal centres across the categories of art, music, design and writing.

Congratulations to all the artists who created and submitted an entry and all the staff that support them.

BACO Newsletter February 2022

Read the latest BACO news and updates in the February newsletter here .

New Chapters – Reflections on a Literacy Project in HMYOI Aylesbury

The National Literacy Trust with a grant from the Rothschild Foundation has been working with the young men and staff in HMYOI, Aylesbury to encourage reading for pleasure and promote literacy. Ruth Farwell, BACO’s education and training lead and Camilla Soames BACO Chair were invited to attended the author’s sessions and in 2020 when the pandemic struck and stopped all third sector organisations entering the prison, the NLT changed tactics, establishing wing libraries and donating 3,200 books. Read the report here and embrace the good news that the Rothschild Foundation is funding this project through to 2055.

Inside Time BACO Article

In August 2021 Inside Time published an article written by BACO Member, Rose Scrope. We are delighted that Bradley ‘B’, interviewed by Rose has agreed to be an Ambassador for BACO. Bradley is now living and working as a Chef in Buckinghamshire. Read the article here .

Criminal Justice Alliance 2021 Awards Announced

The CJA Awards celebrate individuals and organisations that are helping build a fair and effective criminal justice system. See the full list of 2021 award winners here.

Many congratulations to them all and in particular to the Thames Valley Partnership.

Wingrave Open Gardens

A massive thank you to all those kind people who live in Wingrave who opened their gardens last weekend in aid of BACO and the wonderful Maggie’s centres, a fantastic £2,000 raised!