Supporting learners to make a positive change

At Novus, we are committed to supporting learners to engage in education however, we are also dedicated to helping learners make a positive change in themselves and turn their lives around for the better.

The majority of prison establishments where Novus operate in are male prisons and we are constantly working to offer valuable projects and empowering opportunities to male learners, to engage them in education as well as support them with their personal development. 

In celebration of International Men's Day, we want to look back at some of the positive projects and events that we have organised to support male learners. As well as raising awareness for men's health and wellbeing, this year's International Men's Day theme is 'Positive Role Models'.

At Novus we have provided opportunities for external speakers to visit prisons and speak to the learners about their own struggles in life, with some being former prisoners themselves. As well as hosting health and wellbeing events, to educate learners on their own health and encouraging learners to take part in creative enrichment opportunities to support their mental health and wellbeing. 

Inspiring learners through positive role models

At Novus, we collaborate with a number of external inspirational speakers to come and visit learners and share their life experiences. This is an excellent opportunity for learners to see first-hand that people in similar situations to them, have changed their lives around and have become positive members of society, inspiring them that change is possible. 

Adz Khan "My Kind of Criminal" 

We have worked with an inspirational speaker named Adz Khan for a number of years. Adz visits prisons where Novus operate in and delivers inspirational seminars to learners. He has lived experience of prison and prison education; he served a seven year sentence and used that time to maximise his education to make sure that his life was very different upon release.

He has a deep understanding of the challenges and obstacles that our learners face, and through workshops and seminars, he is dedicated to helping them make positive changes in their lives.

Motivating learners to change through education

Adz Khan visited HMP Humber where he delivered a motivational workshop to a group of 20 men from the recovery wing, all looking to make changes in their life whilst at HMP Humber. 

During the workshop, Adz spoke about the power of education and why our learners should grab opportunities whilst in custody to help change their life. He shared his personal story and the lessons he learned during his time in prison to inspire and motivate learners to reach their full potential. Adz spoke candidly about the mistakes he made and the consequences of his actions, but he also focuses on the positive steps he took to turn his life around. 

Through his powerful presentation, Adz helped Novus learners see the potential for change and the opportunity for a better future. He encouraged them to take responsibility for their actions, build resilience and determination, and make positive choices that will impact not only their own lives but also the lives around them. 

This quote from Adz sums up his session:

"Understanding our goals, motivations, fears and frustrations are the foundations of a great mindset! Igniting motivation, consistency, discipline, and the thirst for education is paramount to our future success! The power of daily commitment, the courage in steadfast discipline, and the transformation that education seeds in prepared minds lead us to break barriers, redefine our horizons, and achieve what we once perceived as beyond our reach."

Argh Kid

We have also worked with Argh Kid to engage learners in education and provide a positive outlet for them to share their emotions and experiences through poetry. 

Working with Argh Kid to inspire prison learners 

Learners at HMP Hindley and HMP Risley were given the chance to work with Argh Kid during a series of poetry workshops. Also known as David Scott, Argh Kid is referred to as 'the acapella Eminem' and in his own words "is on a mission to make the artform accessible to the masses". 

He spoke to learners about how he uses the spoke word to express himself, entertain others and earn a good living, showing them an alternative and previously unconsidered career option. 

David worked with a number of prisoners ranging from reluctant readers to those already writing their own poems and lyrics, adapting his approach according to their interests and experiences. By demonstrating techniques such as found poetry and word association, he inspired learners to write about their own stories and perspectives in ways they had never felt able to do before.

As a result of learning about the importance of poetry to their experience and circumstances, learners were empowered to write thought-provoking and powerful poems, some of which were entered for the 2023 Koestler Awards. 

Men who had started the workshops saying that they did not enjoy reading or writing had changed their opinion by learning from someone with shared experience. 

Learners explained how the workshop "helped me to reflect" and that they enjoyed the "team building" aspect and "great conversation".

Supporting learners with their mental health and wellbeing

At Novus, it is crucial that we provide the information, skills and support necessary to educate learners about their general health and mental health and wellbeing. So, that whilst in prison and upon release, they are able to put the correct steps in place to ensure they are looking after themselves and get help if/when they need it. 

Celebrating International Men's Health Week at HMP Liverpool

In June, HMP Liverpool arranged a collaborative wellbeing event to mark 30 years of International Men's Health Week, a global initiative aimed at increasing awareness of male health issues.

This year, the main theme of International Men's Health Week focused on testicular cancer. Novus staff, learners and partner agencies all participated in the event, which saw the curriculum replaced with fun wellbeing activities, designed to boost learner's moods and enhance their knowledge around testicular cancer, their general health and wellbeing and mental health. 

Learners enjoyed yoga sessions delivered by a current learner, meditation sessions, drama and even impromptu Karate sessions! This was complimented by drop-in art sessions and a fun and interactive games room which involved learners working in teams to create a free-standing tower made from spaghetti and marshmallows. 

The resident health care team were also present, providing blood pressure checks for all, followed by a general presentation around spotting the signs of testicular cancer. Whilst the substance misuse team gave out information and did some 1 to 1 talking sessions with some of our learners, and Talking Therapies handed out information around mental health and wellbeing. The library also got involved in the day by giving out free mental health and wellbeing books.

Both learners and colleagues enjoyed the wellbeing day and had the chance to interact with one another in a positive environment, with some learners even singing songs whilst a Novus tutor played the guitar.

Events like this provide learners the opportunity to get involved in worldwide events and initiatives that spread awareness and help learners gain the skills and coping mechanisms to help with their own general health and wellbeing. 

We Roar 2024

Taking part in creative enrichment projects has a profound impact on learner's mental health and wellbeing as well as their personal development. This year, learners across prison establishments that Novus operate in took part in the We Roar Project, creating art pieces that capture their experiences and emotions of being in prison. 

We Roar is a prison arts project devised by Faye Claridge, in partnership with Novus and the Prison Arts Project (PCAP) at the University of Michigan (USA). The project supported learners in 20 prisons across England and America to create artwork and poetry. Participants were sent three pieces of inspiration and were challenged to respond creatively, producing fantastic art pieces.

The artwork produced by learners was then collated into an exhibition and toured across UK prisons that were involved in the project, visiting multiple sites that Novus operate in.

During the UK We Roar Tour, some prisons used the opportunity to host family days so that learners who had participated in the project, could show their families what they have created. Through events like this, learners are able to show their families that they are using their time productively and engaging positively in meaningful projects. This is crucial for a learner's rehabilitative journey as it shows learners that they can contribute positively to society and by having their families witness this, it also shows them that they can be positive role models, strengthening family ties and inspiring them to stay out of prison.

During the We Roar Showcase Event at City Campus Manchester, guests had the unique opportunity to hear from a former Novus learner who took part in Faye Claridge's initial project 'We Bear' during lockdown, which Novus was part of. The learner, who had never taken part in art before he went to prison, decided to take part in 'We Bear' showcasing his personal experiences of being in prison.

The former learner was then released shortly before the 'We Bear' exhibition opened at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum and had the unique opportunity to attend.

During the event, the former learner spoke candidly about his experience in prison and that taking part in the 'We Bear' project had a positive impact on his mental health and wellbeing. Taking an initial idea and creating something to completion, became extremely enjoyable and gave the learner a sense of positivity and stability. The former learner is now a mentor on the We Roar project, who visited some of the prisons on the We Roar tour to speak to learners about the project and the positive impact it has had on him.

Events and projects like the ones above, not only engage learners in education but also help to support and inspire learners to become positive role models and change their lives around for the better, encouraging them to stay out of prison.

To learn more about our projects and initiatives, take a look at the news section.