BASIC CARING COMMUNITIES (BACC)
About BaCC
What is a BaCC group?
Who can volunteer?
Is it dangerous?
Where BaCC works
I don't live in London - what can I do?
Contact details
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About BaCC
Basic Caring Communities (BaCC) is a resettlement project being pioneered by pact, aimed at helping ex-offenders settle back into the local community. The scheme began at Wandsworth Prison, and is now running at Bristol, Brixton and Forest Bank prisons. Ultimately, our goal is to see Basic Caring Communities springing up all over the UK. This video explains what we do, in the words of two men who have benefited from our support.
Basic Caring Communities are groups of volunteers. Each group offers daily support to an ex-prisoner, helping him or her to find their feet in the community in the first crucial months after release.
Comprehensive training is provided for all our BaCC volunteers.
Coming out of prison can be a frightening and lonely experience. The wish to 'go straight' can be very strong, but often the help and support is simply not there.
Many prisoners walk out of the prison gate with no-one to welcome them back into the world - no 'community'.
No wonder then that 3 in 5 prisoners are re-convicted within two years of leaving prison.
Seven Days - real life diary entries of a Basic Caring Community
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What is a BaCC group?
Each BaCC group is made up of four to five volunteers motivated by their Christian faith, and an ex-offender who has chosen to participate.
The ex-offenders who take part are not required to declare any faith; our purpose is not to preach or convert but to accompany and befriend ex-prisoners who want to make a fresh start, and avoid committing further crime.
This is achieved through providing and sharing a warm, human experience of community, including practical help and support.
BaCC groups aim to:
- enable the ex-offender to avoid re-offending
- provide a sense of belonging to all involved
- provide mutual support and accountability to all those taking part
- encourage each person in the group to develop and grow in their lives
- be fun, supportive, challenging, encouraging, non-judgemental, unique to the make up of each particular group, potentially life-changing...
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Who can volunteer?
We are looking for people motivated by their Christian faith, willing to do ordinary things and able to commit to providing support to one individual in a non-judgemental manner.
A willingness to work within clear boundaries, to be confidential and able to cope with disappointments are essential qualities for this volunteering role.
A commitment of at least six to twelve months is required if meaningful links are going to be made with the ex-offender. This includes:
- joining a group (what we call a 'community') for a mutually agreed length of time but particularly during the initial months following the prisoner's release
- meeting with your Basic Caring Community once a week
- being available to the ex-prisoner each week to do every day sort of things with them (e.g. phone call, go for a coffee). Different people in the
'community group' will take different days - being open to praying together, if this is what the ex-offender wants
- helping the person link to services and specialist support that is available in his area (signposting) and championing their cause
- taking part in training sessions and additional booster training
- undertaking an enhanced CRB check and interview
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Is it dangerous?
Every day, prisoners are released from prison into your neighbourhood, with no support. Prisoners who will be invited to volunteer to join a BaCC group will be people at the end of their sentence who we believe genuinely want to make a change in their lives, and who are open to exploring how this can be achieved with others.
Each prisoner is involved following careful 'risk assessment' and selection. As a BaCC volunteer, you'll receive full training and on-going support.
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Where BaCC works
There are groups in London, the South West (around Bristol)and the North West (around Forest Bank prison in Salford).
We regularly run sessions where you can get a feel for how volunteering in a BaCC group might be like. So if you are interested in volunteering, please get in touch!
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I don't live in London, the Soth West or the North West - what can I do?
Our ultimate aim is to set up Basic Caring Communities all over the UK. It's still early days, but if you are interested, you are very welcome to contact us.
If we don't have groups in your area, there are chaplaincy projects and other schemes we can put you in touch with.
Contact details
To find out more about BaCC, contact us on:
0207 091 1293 or 0207 735 9535
Listen...
"It was a hot sunny day..." (mp3) ex-offender 'J' talks about how he turned his life around
"I've decided to make a great change for myself..." (mp3) Serving prisoner 'D' explains why he is joining the Basic Caring Community scheme
... and read
Seven Days - real diary entries of a Basic Caring Community