VisionShift: Careers Awareness Day in prison

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VisionShift is a half day when local people share their experience in business or institutions to prisoners to shift the vision; hence the name. It gives business people in Cambridgeshire an idea of what it is really like in prison and it shows those in prison that the community as a whole is supportive.

Two half-day events offer an opportunity to get involved:

Introductions at HM Peterborough Prison

• Friday 7th October to 2pm
  The event on the male side will run like a speed networking event. Each business person will be sat opposite a resident (someone in prison) and they will get 4 minutes to talk about themselves and their business, how they got into it and answer any questions the resident may have. At the end of the 4 minutes the resident will move onto the next business.
• Friday 14th October to 2pm
  The event on the female side will be run slightly differently, each business person will be sat with 2 or 3 residents (those in prison) for a slightly longer period and then the residents will move onto the next business. 

Businesses the made a difference in 2015 VisionShift 

• Some said they felt they had let themselves, their families and the community down but by having businesses come into prison and take time out of their days it showed them that people did still believe in them which helped them believe in themselves.
• A number of residents were offered work on release from prison while others were offered day release work which is still ongoing for them and their fellow residents.
• Other residents were unsure what they were going to do on release and by meeting people in business they gained ideas or inspiration and were pointed in the right direction for training, contacts etc.

The benefits of VisionShift to a business

• You will be able to create a better community by helping to improve rehabilitation rates for ex-offenders by telling them your story, your background, what you do now and how you got into it which will inspire them for their future on release.
• Through the networking lunch you will be able to meet new business and like-minded people in business, this has been reported to be one of the best networking events by some of the attendees had ever been to, in regards to new people, quality connections and actual sales.
• You will get the chance to promote your business to those residents and staff in prison who could be a customer of your products or services in the future.
• Press releases will be sent to local newspapers as well as interviews with local radio stations and similar, this will result in publicity and marketing for your business, showing you to be a business that cares.
• Your name will be shared in our social media and in blog posts to show that you are getting involved in the event, which will help with brand awareness in the local area for you and your business.
• You’ll feel great for getting involved in such a brilliant, feel good event. You’ll have that warm feeling inside that you have done something to help others and your community.

What next? Please send your full name, date(s) you can get involved, your email address and company name to [email protected] to be  registered and to receive further details of the events.

Your feedback would be greatly appreciated with regards to any change of your view on the residents and your thoughts about the events.