This year marks 25 years of Shannon Trust’s work transforming lives through peer-led learning in prisons. This is a milestone that has been made possible because of connection and people - whether that be mentors in prisons, volunteers, supporters, partners, funders or staff.
Shannon Trust as an organisation has grown and changed enormously over those 25 years, but the heart of what we do has remained the same – offering accessible learning through a peer-mentor model. Our volunteers are integral to this, and we couldn’t do what we do without them.
National Volunteer’s Week takes place in June each year, and it’s a chance to celebrate and thank the millions of volunteers for the time, skills, and dedication they bring to local communities and charities. For Shannon Trust, this coincides with our annual Tom Shannon Awards for outstanding contribution. These awards were created in memory of Tom Shannon to recognise our volunteers who go above and beyond.
We currently have around 120 dedicated volunteers. They come from all backgrounds and walks of life. Some have worked in education, and others have personal experience of struggling with reading or numbers and understand how limiting it is. Whatever their individual motivation, our volunteers contribute a wide range of skills and lived experience to Shannon Trust’s work, and we really value the varied qualities they bring.
A large proportion of our volunteers support Shannon Trust facilitators and prison staff to make sure our mentors have the guidance and any support they need in their one-to-one sessions with learners. They train new mentors too, and help develop our Turning Pages and Count Me In programmes and resources.
In addition, we have volunteer reading coaches within the community, to support learners as they leave prison. Their contribution means we can provide people with avenues to continue their learning with Shannon Trust upon release from prison to help them transition back into communities. This also means we can reach others who are in contact with the probation services, or at risk of offending. We see this community input as increasingly important, given the new Sentencing Act’s focus on community-based rehabilitation for many lower-level offences.
Volunteers also support with Shannon Trust’s day-to-day running, both internally and externally, including fundraising, IT and design.
We recently held our annual Tom Shannon awards at a celebration event in York. Our wonderful award winners and their nominators were invited to attend, and it was a pleasure to spend time with them, our volunteer team and members of our board of trustees. Since I joined Shannon Trust last year, I’ve witnessed just how lucky we are to have so many incredible volunteers. Learners are at the heart of everything we do, and our cohort of volunteers play an integral role in supporting both learners and mentors in many ways.
I continue to be inspired by the incredible range of skills our volunteers bring to Shannon Trust. It’s no exaggeration to say that we simply couldn’t do what we do without them. Over the past year, I’ve seen their dedication in so many ways - from insightful regional impact reports, to powerful moments on the ground, where mentors and learners connect through laughter, trust, and genuine rapport. Their contributions span high-quality design, leadership, and passionate advocacy for our cause.
We invest in supporting our volunteers because they are central to our mission, and their impact speaks for itself. As one volunteer shared, “It is a privilege and a joy to be a part of Shannon Trust and, as a volunteer, I have felt supported and valued from the very start of my training. Anything I am able to contribute is entirely due to all of you and my wonderful facilitators and the passion and commitment of the whole Shannon Trust gang.” My sincere thanks go to every volunteer, and to the teams who support them. I’m excited to continue to build on this meaningful impact together.
Chair’s Award – Michael Rowe, for his unwavering commitment and flexibility, providing constant support to colleagues and playing a vital role in shaping important work.
Creative Champion Award – Emily Davies, for bringing exceptional creativity and generosity to her role, transforming our design work and strengthening how we communicate our impact.
Creative Champion Award – Ainslie Foster, for using imagination and empathy to bring mentoring to life, creating meaningful connections and building confidence in those she supports.
Individual of the Year Award – Geoffrey Hinton, for his dedication and generosity, delivering high-quality training and supporting learners and volunteers to grow in confidence and ability.
Inspirational Impact Award – Julian Eccles, for bringing energy and commitment to revitalise literacy provision, creating inclusive programmes where learners and mentors can thrive.
Outstanding Leader Award – Mimi Errington, for her exceptional leadership and care over many years, creating supportive environments where volunteers feel valued and empowered.
Team of the Year Award – Steven Oliver and Angela Bailey, for their inspiring teamwork, building a strong and inclusive mentoring community that continues to grow and reach more learners.
Transforming Lives Award – Rachel Maidment, for her commitment and creativity, strengthening learning opportunities and making a positive difference to those she supports.
.avif)