25/11/2026
Event
Unlocking Futures
A parent's sentence should not become their child's.
Every year, more than 200,000 children are affected by parental imprisonment, yet many remain invisible to the systems designed to support them.
Unlocking Futures is a national event bringing together young people, policymakers, practitioners and sector leaders to explore how children affected by parental imprisonment can be better identified, understood and supported. Marking Children with a Parent in Prison Day, the event will feature the launch of a new film directed by Coky Giedroyc, new research into the impact of parental imprisonment, and contributions from young people with lived experience.
Join us as we explore practical solutions and discuss what government, schools and public services can do to ensure every child has the support they need to thrive.
Agenda
2.00pm | Pact AGM
2.45pm | Opening comments
- Andy Keen-Downs, CEO, Pact
- Frayer and Shem, Pact Young Ambassadors
3.00pm | How Pact supports young people with parents in prison
- Aimee Hutchinson, Head of Children and Young People Practice, Pact
3.20pm | The role of schools in supporting children with a parent in prison
- Julie Harmieson, Director of Education and Strategy, Trauma Informed Schools
3.35pm | Keynote speech
- Cherie Blair CBE KC
3.50pm | Unlocking Futures film
- Introduced by Coky Giedroyc, Brian Edmond and Pact Young Ambassador Toby
4.00pm | Panel discussion
- Chair: Sima Kotecha, Senior UK Correspondent, BBC
Panellists:
- Naz Shah MP (lived experience of parental imprisonment)
- Andy West, author of The Life Inside (serialised by the BBC as Waiting for the Out)
- Mine Conkbayir, academic
- Jess and Sareen, Pact Young Ambassadors
4.30pm | Speech
- Jake Richards MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice
4.45pm | Closing comments
- Andy Keen-Downs and Pact Young Ambassador Toby
4.55pm | Event close
