ABOUT | Chance to Change Foundation/ Friends of Pentonville

"I learned that one can always start again" and "I know prisons from the inside".

These two quotes by José Mujica perfectly encapsulate the Chance to Change Foundation's objectives as a charity to provide the chance for a new beginning for prisoners as learned first hand from experience of life on the inside.

The Chance to Change Foundation and it's subsidiary Friends of Pentonville hope to give prisoners opportunity.

Greater educational resources to increase literacy amongst prisoners and basic equipment such as computers enabling prisoners to become IT literate (CLAIT courses) could enable better prospects on release.

Projects include providing skills within the prison walls that could be transferred to gainful employment on release such as barista training, barber and haircutting courses, and working in the hospitality sector such as in restaurants, bars and catering industries.

Friends of Pentonville has helped to fund the hugely successful Music in the Ville. A series of musical workshops and concerts organised Emma Dogliani OPV; a therapist for prisoners with mental health problems in the NDU Wing and the Bicycle Repair Workshop Factory in conjunction with XO Bikes. Other projects include the "Improve your Public Speaking" course for prisoners and prisoner officers with presentation skills and interview techniques with The Rt Hon John Bercow; A murals project to liven up the prison walls for prisoners and staff alike and the refurbishment of a classroom for educational purposes.

In 2026 we hope to work in conjunction with London's Community Kitchen to provide accredited Health and Safety, Food Safety courses as well silver service training and cooking classes to prisoners. We also plan to have quarterly Employment Forums to invite employers that already employ prisoners (Iceland) and potentially new employers and encourage them to provide opportunity for ex-offenders.

Equipping prisoners with skills that they could use after their release would help reduce reoffending which is currently at 28.2% (end of 2023). Of the 47,000 prisoners sent to prison (statistics to end of June 2024) 55% had committed a non-violent offence. (Prison Reform Trust Bromley's Briefings Prison Factfile February 2025)