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Spiral Charity of the Year

We just love to serve, and each year we will choose a charity to profile and promote the best way we can. We are pleased to introduce our charity for 2006/7. The Fathers Arms provides a loving caring family environment for ex offenders who desire a change of lifestyle and want to integrate back into the community. Spiraluniverse.org is hoping to raise £2,500 in the next twelve months to support John and Tasmin Pask in running the home.

The Father's Arms

The Father's Arms provides a loving caring family environment for ex offenders who desire a change of lifestyle and re-engage with the community. Startling research figures from the Social Exclusion Unit shows that nearly three in five prisoners re offend within two years of leaving prison, with a cost to tax payers of approximately £11 billion year. The Prime minister in his foreword to the report states that ‘we need to redouble efforts to effectively rehabilitate prisoners back into society.

The Fathers Arm has done just that. A small charity with overheads of just over £10,000 a year, it has provided over 30 offenders with an opportunity to have a new start in new areas giving new life to ex offenders. Of these 30 offenders housed in the past five years, over 80% have moved on to a new life removed from offending.

The Fathers Arms is run by John and Tamsin Pask, and operates on the simple principle of the love of God. The project is not a hostel or a rehab, but a real home where there are no locks on doors, no routines or schedules to follow, no notices on doors. Meals are shared with each other, and a local loving church provides socials, house activities cell groups and support.

N’s comment The last thing I was expecting was help from anyone, let alone someone to take me in and give me a home.

Y’s story After 17 years of addiction to class A drugs and prison sentences, I found myself at the Fathers Arms having recently been released from HMP Belmarsh. The understanding and safe environment of the programme they ran helped me to remain clean and strong in my determination to recover from my disease. I found the house very organised and I felt supported. Even to this day, after leaving, I still remain in close contact and seeking counsel.

A's story After 20 years of homelessness, hospitals, prisons, alcohol, heroin and crack addiction. I was ready for a change. The Fathers Arms gave me that opportunity to change. I am now 18 months clean and sober with a support network that is second to none

How the Home works

John gets to know prisoners who have made a decision for Christ whilst in prison, by working with various chaplains in prisons across the South East. He then visits them in prison and they both decide if it is the right decision for the prisoner to come into the house on his release. John then goes to prison, on the date of release and meets the prisoner at the gate with a small bag of toiletries and clothes. The ex offender is then taken to the home and given a room, and the process of resettlement starts slowly, and John has spoken briefly about the process.

Stage 1:

Settling in, many ex offenders are frightened to live on thier own, especially addicts who often have to stay very close to me in the 1st month, as I help sorting out benefits etc.

Stage 2:

Building a foundation. This involves starting employment, registering for training courses, drug programme or other relevant programmes and building healthy friendships with lots of Christians who come round to visit, help, chill out and just listen.

Stage 3:

Moving on. This is the big step, and we keep in touch to support our residents, through this process and beyond.

Postscript

John and Tasmin lived with ex-offenders for four years, and now have a little girl. They have moved out of the home to a nearby house where their daughter could have the space they so desperately need. John and Tasmin however are never too far away and spend most of their time in the house working with the residents

Donate to The Father’s Arms

We hope to raise £2,500 for the Father's Arms in the next 12 months. This will support John and Tasmin in running the home and expanding the good work. We hope to plan a few fundraising activities, but you can also support them directly by making a donation to John and Tasmin directly.

Do tell them that you heard of the project through Spiraluniverse, as we really would like to know if we have truly helped them.

Thank you for your support, and remember ‘whatsover you do to the least of my brother, that you do unto me’.
God bless you.