Shannon Trust transforms lives by helping more people experience the positive impact of learning.

We are a registered charity, and work across all prisons in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to train and inspire people in prison who can read and do numeracy to teach those who can’t. 

Each year, we help thousands of people in prison to learn, so that they can build a different, more positive future for themselves and their families. We also work in partnership with organisations in the community to offer reading and numeracy support to those who are caught in the criminal justice system.

We provide everything needed for someone to learn, including our reading resource, Turning Pages, and our numeracy programme, Count Me In. Sessions are one to one, take place outside formal education, and learners work at their own pace.  

Our programmes enable more people in prison to gain fundamental skills that they need to navigate daily life. It provides people in prison with access to education, training and rehabilitative courses that will help them to address their offending, gain new skills and move into employment.

For thousands of people in prison, and in the community, learning to read and understand basic numeracy can completely transform their life.

Nobody left out of learning

Our purpose

We support people in the criminal justice system to learn to read and improve other basic skills, so they can pursue wider opportunities and thrive in the community.

Our vision

A future where everyone can experience the positive impact of learning.

Our mission

To connect the power of volunteers, mentors and partners to offer a range of effective, accessible and informal learning opportunities in prisons and the community.

We value

The individual

We are supportive and non-judgmental – with our learners, mentors, volunteers and each other. By focusing on learners’ unique and individual needs, we can grow skills and confidence so they can reach their full potential.

Collaboration

We can’t achieve our vision alone, so we are resourceful and collaborative. By working with mentors, volunteers and partner organisations, we can ensure our programmes are widely accessible across the criminal justice system and communities.

Inventiveness

We know reading can be the first step to transforming lives, yet we also recognise wider needs. Ambitious, energetic and creative, we take a learner-led approach to innovation to increase the breadth and impact of our work.

With your support, we can help people access education and training opportunities, build relationships with their families, and have more hope for the future.

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