HMP Kingston Prison Play Project

Do you like playing with children? Would you be willing to go into prison to help with visiting children, helping them have fun, playing with them so they have a happy time.

Portsmouth MU have been invited to supervise the Play Area in the visits room in HMP Kingston Prison in Portsmouth. Children are allowed to visit their father in prison but they have to be accompanied by an adult - parent, guardian, or other relative. It is now statistically recognised that the more a prisoner keeps contact with his family outside the less likely he is to re-offend when he is released. But children get easily bored listening to adults talking all the time, so we are being allowed to go into the visits room to play with the children. The Play Area is within the same room and the child is the responsibility of the adult who brought him/her in at all times, so the volunteers do not have overall care of the child.

Our volunteers would need to be aware of the children's needs, helping them to have fun while they are there. We are purely there to play with them so they have a happy time, and want to visit Dad again.

Initially we have agreed to have volunteers available on the second Sunday of each month from 2.pm to 4.pm. Prisoners have to fill in a chitty 48 hours before a visit so we can establish beforehand if there are to be children present, thus avoiding members coming when not needed.

Please let either Alison Hubbard (02392 632314) or Valerie Edmonds (01489 572666) know if you are willing to volunteer to help in this project or would like further information.

Margaret Symonds