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Post: Pact,聽Park Place,12 Lawn Lane, Vauxhall, London, SW8 1UD

Online:

Phone: 02077 359 535

In EastEnders, my character, Jean Slater suddenly finds herself as the sole carer for her grandchild when her daughter is sent to prison. She struggles financially, emotionally and mentally whilst trying to come to terms with her daughter's imprisonment. This is a more common situation than most people would think - there are 200,000 children in England and Wales affected by a parent in prison every year.

Luckily there is an organisation to help families through this process. Pact strive to strengthen family bonds and help break the cycle of reoffending by providing help for families in court through to families and loved ones in prison through to release. The effect that this has is undeniable as regular family visits are known to reduce reoffending significantly - by 39%.

This is why I support Pact, as the work they do is essential. I believe that everyone deserves a fresh start and especially children who are innocent victims in all of this - like Jean's granddaughter, Lily.

Please donate to this Lifeline appeal to help Pact make fresh starts a reality.聽

Pact is a national charity which supports people affected by imprisonment. We provide practical and emotional support to prisoners' children and families, and to prisoners themselves. Pact works in 50 prisons across England and Wales.

This includes Family Support Caseworkers, Visitors鈥� Centres, children鈥檚 play areas, tea bars, relationship and children education courses and resettlement projects.

Pact聽gives real hope to those whom聽it聽supports: children struggling with the imprisonment of a parent, the prisoner contemplating suicide, the mother struggling to support her son when he returns home from prison.

The evidence makes it clear that the most effective way to break cycles of inter-generational crime is through support of the whole family during periods of imprisonment - regular family visits reduce re-offending by around 39%. There is no quick fix here, rather the patient work of keeping prisoners and their families in touch with each other, in order to generate hope for the future.聽

How does Pact do this?聽In a number of ways and in particular through:

-聽Our聽visitors鈥� centres聽located at prisons, which provide child-friendly facilities, advice and support聽to those visiting loved ones.

-聽Services to support offenders鈥櫬燾hildren聽and families in the community as they struggle聽to cope with the imprisonment of a loved one.

-聽Parenting Courses and Family Days which enable prisoners and their families to spend quality time together.

-聽Our聽Basic Caring Communities聽resettlement programme聽of trained volunteers who support ex-offenders to turn their lives around post-release.

-聽Encouraging聽the involvement of volunteers to support those affected by crime and to reduce the risk of offending.

• For more information, go to their website or follow on or .

In October 2011, Sammy-Jo discovered that she was pregnant. The happy news had not even been announced when her partner Paul was arrested and sent to prison. After an agonising pregnancy and birth the couple was to be tried yet again, when the new-born girl arrived to visit her father in prison the reality of being an imprisoned parent started to occur to Paul.

Sammy-Jo said, 鈥淭he worst fears were just, she鈥檚 not going to know who I am 鈥� we鈥檙e not going to bond 鈥� she鈥檚 not going to recognise me鈥�

Sammy-Jo also noticed the relationship between Paul and his daughter becoming strained.

Sammy-Jo said, 鈥淥nly seeing her father once a week, you know, she鈥檇 have the tears when he would see her. He鈥檇 hold her and she鈥檇 start crying, which was awful.鈥�

When all seemed at its darkest, Paul heard about Baby Group, a project run by PACT,聽 which was aimed at young families. Under the guiding hand of PACT, Paul soon transformed from being a hesitant father, scared even to leave his chair, to longing for the next time he would see his young family.

Paul said, 鈥淚鈥檇 literally look forward to it and count down the minutes until Monday morning鈥︹��

Upon his release Paul became a stay at home dad with his by now six months old daughter. Having learned everything from nappy changing to bathing in the Baby Group he picked up the new challenge with vigour.

Paul said, 鈥淚 love it 鈥� its, its brilliant.聽 It鈥檚 definitely the hardest and but most rewarding job anyone can have.鈥澛�

Paul fell into bad habits early on in his life and by his mid-teens he had become entangled with the law.

Paul said, 鈥淚 kept going in a vicious circle, going out, stealing, causing mayhem - and if I wanted something I would take it, not caring who I would hurt or upset鈥︹��

After years of living this destructive lifestyle Paul found it difficult to change, but with the arrival of his first grandchildren he began to take stock of his life.

Paul said, 鈥淣ow that I鈥檝e got two grandchildren 鈥� I thought it鈥檚 time to leave it alone, make a change.鈥�

Seeking help from the PACT project Basic Caring Communities, Paul managed to recreate the support structure outside prison, which he had lost. From the moment Paul was released the BaCC group were there for him, greeting him with open arms at the gates.

Paul said, 鈥淚 was worried, scared that I might mess up again. But having them there, was a big help for me.鈥�

Through the support lent by PACT, Paul now feels that he can finally become the father, grandfather and son that he wants to be. It has given him the strength to reform and the confidence to lead the life he craves but which for many years was alien to him.