Introducing the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust to learners and colleagues at HMP Deerbolt

At Novus, we are always looking for new ways to provide employment opportunities to learners across our establishments so that learners are equipped with the skills, knowledge and opportunities needed to find employment upon release.  

Recently, Novus colleagues and learners at HMP Deerbolt took part in a taster session with the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST). The session was designed to introduce Novus colleagues and learners to QEST, providing hands-on activities to offer a practical taster of some of the opportunities that QEST offer and providing learners the opportunity to explore the creative industry as a potential career path. 

The session ran over a full day, with an introduction to QEST, three taster ‘hands on’ sessions and time for exploring and planning. 

Who are QEST?

The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) is a UK charity that supports excellence in British craftsmanship by funding the education and training of talented artists. QEST provides apprenticeships and scholarships to help craftspeople develop their skills and sustain traditional and contemporary crafts across the UK. 

QEST event at HMP Deerbolt

The focus of the day was to identify versatile possibilities, ranging from enhancing existing curriculum areas to establishing specialised training schemes, employment pathways and mentorship programmes for learners with QEST. 

On the morning of the session, Katherine, Head of Programmes and Partnerships at QEST, provided an overview of QEST and a brief insight into the range of opportunities that the organisation leads on. Both learners and Novus colleagues then participated in taster workshop sessions. 

Then in the afternoon, Novus colleagues participated in two taster workshop sessions. They were divided into two groups, with each group completing one session before switching to the other.

The workshops included:

• Stained Glass with Zoe Garner
• Dorodango with Sean Auld
• Willow Weaving with Fiona Arnold
• Exploring future collaboration with Leon Garshong (LG Designer Maker) and Katherine Dunleavy.

The event was a huge success with Katherine from QEST commenting positively on the collaboration: 

“Working with Novus is invaluable to helping QEST achieve our goals as a charity. Our Crafting Tomorrow strategy is focused on ensuring that professional craft skills careers are open to all, collaborating with Novus allows us to reach learners within the prison estate we would not otherwise be able to engage. The expertise of Novus staff is essential as we work together to build a meaningful and impactful programme of craft activities.” 

Sarah Hartley, our National Lead for Creative Arts and Enrichment also commented positively: 

“I am really excited to be working with QEST, a partnership that brings invaluable opportunities to our learners - demystifying ‘craft,’ unlocking new skills, and highlighting the positive challenge and reward of learning. Craft and the act of making go beyond simply staying busy; exposing learners to the craft and craft industry broadens horizons, deepens understanding, and reveals real pathways for applying these skills in meaningful ways.”

Creative enrichment opportunities to lead directly into employment for Novus learners

Craft and creative skills, hold significant value in the job market, offering pathways into industries such as design, manufacturing, heritage restoration and entrepreneurship. Over the years, the job market has continued to evolve with creative industries becoming an established and integral career path in society and with that, has come the need for education and training in creative vocations. 

Events like these, offer learners the opportunity to explore a career pathway in the creative industry and shows learners that creative skills are just as sought after as technical skills in the job market. For some learners who are more skilled in creative vocations, opportunities like this show them that they can choose a career in the creative industry and also shows them the steps they need to take to enter their chosen career path. 

The session was also a fantastic opportunity for Novus staff to explore the possibilities and opportunities to enhance the education offering at Deerbolt, providing feedback on which workshops could work in a prison setting and the potential benefits for learners. Opportunities like this offer colleagues the chance to explore new potential workshops and activities, that could be utilised, further enhancing the high-quality education that Novus deliver. 

To learn more about how we use creative enrichment to provide more opportunities to learners, take a look at our 2024/25 creative enrichment strategy.