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502 Educators providing Courses in Bristol

Safelives

safelives

Bristol

Our Chief Executive, Suzanne Jacob OBE, leads the below senior leadership team (SLT) and overall operational management of SafeLives. The SLT is assisted by a team of dedicated professionals with a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Suzanne Jacob OBE, CEO Having worked at SafeLives for three years – including two years as Deputy CEO – Suzanne became Chief Executive in December 2017. Immediately before joining SafeLives, Suzanne spent several months working in Delhi for Breakthrough India, an organisation which campaigns against violence and discrimination against women and girls. Prior to this, Suzanne spent nearly a decade with the UK Home Office. Here, she worked extensively on national security matters, established the National Crime Agency as a significant new part of UK law enforcement, and acted as Private Secretary to the Minister responsible for crime and policing. Suzanne worked for several years on security for the London 2012 Olympics, and was awarded an OBE in 2013 for her work on intelligence collection and analysis, and enforcement activity. Suzanne volunteered for seven years on the Victim Support helpline, providing first response for victims of all crime types. She became a Trustee of Crimestoppers UK in April 2021. Jo Silver, Director of Quality and Innovation Jo is responsible for designing and piloting exciting new and effective interventions to end domestic abuse. Jo provides expert advice on activities, policy messages and practice, she works with national and local commissioners, funders, policy makers and partners to make this happen. Jo rejoined us in January 2014, having spent two years as senior consultant at the NSPCC in Cardiff. Jo was Caada's (SafeLives' former name) director of professional development between 2006 and 2012. She also worked for the police for ten years in the public protection unit and at the Women's Safety Unit in Cardiff. Jo Gordon, Chief Operating Officer Jo is responsible for effective and efficient internal management of the organisation, making sure that SafeLives lives by its values of being human, rigorous and brave. Jo took up the role of Chief Operating Officer in July 2018. Prior to this, Jo was Head of Learning and Accreditation at SafeLives having joined in 2005 as a freelance trainer. Jo started her career as a youth and community worker. She worked for ten years at North Devon Women’s Aid prior to SafeLives and is committed to tackling the issue of domestic abuse. Jo is also a volunteer at her local homeless shelter. Liz Thompson, Director of External Relations Liz is responsible for our external relations activity, working with colleagues to forge and maintain great relationships with the wide array of people who are vital to our work; find new opportunities to develop and replicate what we do; and secure the support and income we need to help people and their families live safely and well. She joined in 2019, following a decade leading communications for the Royal Shakespeare Company. She started her career in the commercial sector at public relations agency, Burson-Marsteller, and her previous experience includes external relations, fundraising and management roles in the public sector, at the Environment Agency and Countryside Commission, and at the charity Turning Point. She also trained as a volunteer substance misuse counsellor at Addaction, and worked at their first needle exchange in Bethnal Green.

The Key - Unlock Potential

the key - unlock potential

London

The Key Unlock Potential is a Bristol-based charity founded by volunteers who were recruited by The Restore Trust. The charity was registered in July 2019, registration number 1184633. Our team is made up of board members including representatives from the Restore Trust and HMP Bristol and volunteers. Find out more on our team page → The story so far The charity was registered by Suzanne Thompson of the Restore Trust Bristol in response to a need to reduce reoffending by providing access to work. Prisoners reported that on release from prison, they face huge challenges in obtaining paid employment. The charity name was chosen by a focus group in the prison, and the board continue to value the importance of the voice of those with lived experience. The Key facts Many people with convictions struggle to obtain work. According to gov.uk, just 17% of ex-offenders secure a job within a year of release. A YouGov survey commissioned by the DWP found that 50% of employers would choose not to employ ex-offenders, deeming them unskilled and untrustworthy. This is despite 86% of companies that employ ex-offenders rating them as “good at their job”, and 81% of consumers stating that companies who employ ex-offenders are positively contributing to society. The lack of stability and lack of security due to unemployment creates a cycle of reoffending and makes successful rehabilitation much more challenging. This must change, and as the statistics above illustrate, tackling this problem can be beneficial for all parties involved. Food with conviction Our vision is to create a safe, welcoming café and retail hub on Bristol’s Gloucester Road that will provide a steppingstone for people transitioning into permanent employment, a destination for the local community, and a mechanism for fundraising. The food for the café will be prepared in the prison’s commercial kitchen, by prisoners. The cafe will operate 5 days a week and will be open between 8:30am and 5:30pm serving “food with conviction”. Interspersed within the café area will be art and handmade items for sale. This will include garden furniture made from pallets, including tables and planters as well as products such as keep cups and cotton bags designed and printed in the prison. We will provide paid employment placements for people released on temporary licence (RoTL) or who have recently left prison. This will help address the most pressing issues facing the prison population, by providing access to work experience and employment, training and rehabilitation support; as a result, beneficiaries will develop transferable skills that will enable them to move on to permanents jobs. Our vision is Key We are on a mission to help people rebuild their lives after they leave prison. We want to give people the tools they need to unlock confidence, pride, and positivity. We want to create a safe space for personal growth and practical experience that will enable people to secure future employment, financial stability, and break the cycle of reoffending.