Florrie's story: An hour that matters
Through Let’s Talk, Pact pairs people in prison who rarely receive visits with trained volunteers from the community, who visit and speak with them at least once a month. The scheme prioritises diversity, encouraging applications from people of all backgrounds. All volunteers undergo a selection and vetting process to ensure their suitability for the role, and receive free, comprehensive training and ongoing supervision from a dedicated staff member.
This blog tells the story of volunteer Florrie’s visits with service user NB, and how that relationship supported his growing confidence.
"I wasn’t being paid. I didn’t have to show up. I was there because I wanted to be – and so were they."
The first time I volunteered as a Let’s Talk visitor, I was a sweaty mess. Even having had training and a prison visit in preparation, my first session – queuing up with other people there to visit friends and family, sitting down, waiting to speak with a stranger – was really nerve-wracking.
I’d been looking for something like this for a while. I previously volunteered with people facing complex challenges, many of whom had been in prison. When I was completing my degree, I looked for roles that would allow me to learn more about imprisonment. Most of the roles I found were in things like security, but I wanted something where I could build real relationships. When I found Let’s Talk, it felt just right.
What helped me on that first visit was realising that I didn’t need to go in with a script. I started to think of it as standing at a bus stop with someone, knowing you’ve got an hour to fill. You just begin a conversation.
"Even seemingly small things—letting them steer the conversation or choose the snack we got—felt important."
Very quickly, I became aware of how little control people have over their lives inside. So much of their day is structured—where they go, when they eat, what they do. I found myself trying to create a space that felt different. Even seemingly small things—letting them steer the conversation or choose the snack we got—felt important.
A lot of our conversations were very ordinary. We’d talk about what someone had watched on TV, or things they’d been drawing. I think the power of Let’s Talk is that you’re there as a person who wants to talk. I wasn’t being paid. I didn’t have to show up. I was there because I wanted to be – and so were they. We were both choosing to give each other our time.
"Even if I was only there for an hour a month, it created a space that helped something grow."
One person who has really stayed with me is NB, a young guy who had already spent a lot of his life in institutions. At the beginning, our conversations were quite surreal and removed from everyday life. But over time, something shifted.
He started telling me about courses he was doing, then work, then groups he’d joined. Eventually, he was starting things himself, like a book club. At one point, I commented on how much had changed since we started chatting. He told me that when we first started speaking, he’d felt embarrassed—he didn’t have anything to tell me. So he began doing things so that he would have something to bring to our conversations.
But over time, the things he was doing stopped being about our conversations and started being about him. That’s when I really understood the value of Let’s Talk. Even if I was only there for an hour a month, it created a space that helped something grow.
After my visits with NB came to an end, I was able to attend a concert he’d invited me to through one of the groups he’d joined. Looking around at the people there and the relationships he’d built, I just felt so impressed by how far he’d come since we met.
Throughout my volunteering, I felt really supported by the Pact team. If anything came up, I always knew I could share it and get guidance. It never felt like I was doing it alone—I felt part of a team, with people I could rely on. That support extended beyond the visits too. During my degree, Pact team members contributed to my research, which meant I was able to produce academic work grounded in real experience.
For me, volunteering has never felt like something one-sided. It’s not just about giving your time—it’s genuinely reciprocal. You’re showing up for someone, but they’re also showing up for you, with honesty, humour, and effort. You can’t help but feel good about that kind of connection.
If you’re thinking about volunteering with Pact: it’s okay to be nervous. I definitely was. But have a go. There’s real value in it—for you and for them.
Before NB was paired with Florrie, he described himself as someone who struggled to make friends his own age. He said he found it difficult to read other people due to his neurodiversity, and that he spent a lot of energy learning to regulate his emotions. He has been in the prison system from a very young age and was involved with the care system before that, so he has experienced instability for most, if not all, of his life.
His work with Florrie has taught NB that peer relationships can help you grow and develop into a better version of yourself. He says he has learnt much more about himself and now presents far more confidently because of it. It has been invaluable for him to experience a healthy, boundaried relationship with another person.
Most importantly, his visits with Florrie have shown him that relationships can end in a positive way. For service users who struggle to maintain meaningful relationships, that’s huge. NB can now say that his time with Florrie was still just as valuable, despite it coming to an end.
The service users I work with all say that the opportunity to be a fresh, better version of themselves during Let's Talk visits has a huge impact on their self-confidence—which, at its core, is what helps these men feel empowered to make better decisions for themselves in the future.
