Serving more than time at The Clink

I just love those days when you’re presented with something completely unexpected and you find yourself surprised, delighted and inspired.

It wasn’t a lottery win but still pretty special!

It was a bit of a coincidence that on the morning I set myself the task of blogging about a great experience, I found myself listening to Justice Minister Michael Gove announcing that as a society we had collectively failed to attend adequately to the redemption and rehabilitation of large sections of our prison population.

So what’s the connection between my experience and the justice system?

Arranging a trip last week to Cardiff to witness my daughter’s graduation, we asked her to book somewhere for a celebratory lunch. She announced that it would be The Clink. That’s all we knew.

We arrived to find the restaurant located just yards outside the walls of HMP Cardiff. Interesting. I just assumed it was the location that had inspired the owners to come up with that name. Wrong.

Welcome to dinner with a difference at The Clink!

It looked at felt like a normal though top end restaurant with a great feel and design, and an open kitchen. We got a great welcome.

It wasn’t until I started reading the introduction in the menu that we realised what was different.

The kitchen and serving team, and the cleaning staff are all serving prisoners. Those with less than 18 months left of their sentence can apply to train for a City & Guilds NVQ in Hospitality & Catering and Customer Service, including food preparation, front-of-house service and industrial cleaning.  

They work a 40-hour week, under supervision, and train for between six to 18 months.

The first Clink Restaurant opened at HMP High Down in Surrey after Alberto Crisci MBE, then catering manager, identified the need for formal training, qualifications and support for prisoners in finding a job after release.

Since then Clink, now operating as a charity, opened in Brixton, Cardiff and this year in Styal, Cheshire. The restaurants at HMP Brixton and HMP High Down are actually located within the prison walls.

Mentors help graduates find employment and mentor them weekly for six to twelve months to support their reintegration. On average, 50 prisoners a year from each restaurant are released into employment.

It’s not just the food that’s provided by the prisoners. The tables, chairs and artwork in each of the four restaurants currently operating have been produced in various prisons across the UK.

Much of the food has been grown in prison gardens. The prisoners’ poems etched into glass panels in doors and around the restaurant are particularly poignant and really quite moving. They come from the Prisoners’ Poetry Book and A Collection of Art and Poetry, both filled with work by prisoners at HMP High Down.

So how was dinner?

Stunning and memorable for all the right reasons. The service was exemplary, the menu choice, although perhaps a little limited, was innovative with high quality dishes beautifully presented. The fresh ingredients were cooked to perfection. A fine lunch by any standards and highly recommended as a great dining experience.

What was noticeable was the kitchen team’s intense but in no way intrusive interest in our reactions to the food they’d cooked for us. It was obvious that it really mattered to them. During a brief conversation with one of our waiters, he confided that he had been working at the restaurant for only five weeks and was striving for an NVQ. It was said with real enthusiasm and pride. This was a clearly a place that makes a difference.

The initiative has been an enormous success. Within the first year of release, 46.9% of all adult offenders reoffend. For those serving sentences of less than 12 months this increases to 57.5%. Within five years, 75% will reoffend. Those who have been part of the charity’s programme have shown a reoffending rate of just 12.5%.

That’s got to be good news for all of us given that the cost to the taxpayer of keeping just one prisoner incarcerated for twelve months is £44,000. And that’s quite aside from the social, emotional and financial impact of the crimes that are committed through reoffending. It makes you wonder just how effective imprisonment is as a long-term solution to reducing crime, let alone rehabilitation.

There may never be a good excuse for crime. You might have views about giving prisoners a second chance. Clearly not for all offenders and I recognise that there’s no such thing as a victimless crime but I can't help feeling that for a certain category of offender who has it in them to recognise their wrongdoing and who wants to change, the opportunity should be available.

I have a real passion for trying to make a difference and for searching out opportunities to touch people’s lives for the better. That’s precisely what’s happening at The Clink and at other projects where the prison service is working with industry to create other opportunities for offenders to engage, learn and rehabilitate.

The charity aims to open ten units by the end of 2017. Currently, up to 155 prisoners are training at any one time.

Take a closer look http://theclinkcharity.org/the-clink-restaurants/cardiff-wales/

Too many forgotten days!

I’m a massive fan of TED (http://www.ted.com). Some of the featured talks are real life-changers and I was lucky enough to stumble across one this week that had a massive impact.

It reminded me of an uncomfortable moment a few years ago when the eldest of my three children was moments away from leaving home to go to university. The first of our offspring was flying the nest!!!

I suddenly found myself staring at her with a sense of growing panic – I remembered her being eight and there she was, a glowing 18 year old. How on earth had that happened so quickly and, more importantly, where I had been all that time?

Throughout all those years I may have been listening but was I hearing? I may have been watching but was I seeing? Sure, I’d been busy earning a living and all that goes with it but what had I missed?

I set my intention at that moment to be more ‘present’, mindful and aware for the sake of the children I still had at home. I’d like to think that I have succeeded in getting better, at least a little, at seeing and hearing.

But what else have I missed? How many events and magic moments are never registered; how many days and experiences forgotten completely?

I guess that as you get older, you become more aware of the finite nature of life. You become more conscious of wanting to make the most of the time you have and remember more of the good bits.

Cesar Kuriyama has clearly had a similar experience and in his superb TED talk - http://www.ted.com/talks/cesar_kuriyama_one_second_every_day - he explains how he now takes one second of video each and every day to remind him of the day and help him focus on its highlights.

I decided to do the same, though with camera and iphone stills, rather than footage. It has been a revelation. I’ve discovered that this one daily image has immense power.

It gives me a sense of continuity, a feeling that I’m living a fuller life and a much greater awareness of time. I guess it makes me stop and think about what I’ve been doing, be more aware of people and places and appreciate the good bits more. Give it a try!

Meet one of my heroes...

I’ve always thought it a privilege to have opportunities to spend time with like-minded people. I’ve been lucky enough in the last ten days to be with a few of them.

They’re authentic, generous of spirit and loyal. They’re all people I look up to and who have made my life and the lives of others that much better. I want to introduce you to one of them.

I was at school with Dave Beevers. We worked in journalism together and we’ve both shared some ups and downs. He’s a creative force, a brilliant writer and possesses one of the sharpest senses of humour ever. We laugh a lot together.

He’ll forgive me for sharing that he was never the fittest, most exercise conscious or lightest of human beings but in the last twelve months, he lost more than five stones, competed in half and full marathons and has become one of the fittest people I know. This weekend he'll participate in the Rotterdam Marathon.

Until few short months ago, he had never learned to swim or even ride a bike. He’s now competing in triathlons and his goal is to compete in an Iron Man event. If you care to look that up you’ll see that it ranks amongst one of the toughest organised physical challenges of their kind.

What a transformation. All this is achieved under the banner of Running with Diane. It’s Dave’s tribute to his beloved wife whom he lost to breast cancer in February two years ago. Her memory, personality and love drive him, inspire him and help him in all these impressive endeavours.

Having lost his anchor, and to some extent his reason for living, he’s found a new purpose and is achieving what we all want -  the feeling that we’re making a real difference.

Dave was 24 stone when Diane died. He joined a local gym in April 2013 and went on to lose eight stones in 12 months, weighing in at 16st when he ran the Rotterdam and Liverpool marathons last year.

If you want to be moved with some great writing, and perhaps spare him a thought - or something more tangible - take a look at http://runningwithdiane.blogspot.co.uk or better still, https://www.justgiving.com/rotterdamdavehttps://www.justgiving.com/rotterdamdave

This bit of inspiration is taken from one of his blogs:

‘Change your mindset and suddenly what you are capable of becomes an unknown. And that’s the exciting bit. When you stop saying ‘I can’t’ and start asking, ‘I wonder if...’ that’s the adventure there, in a nutshell. The shackles come off, your self-deprecation evaporates and you start to think of what might be.

Look up and not down, ahead and not behind. Don’t let how you are determine how you will be. You have no idea how far, how long or how high you can reach because you haven’t tried to find out yet.

When you start to dream, simply start to imagine how much better you could be than you are today, that’s when you feel the irresistible urge to get off the sofa. And that’s when you know you’ve conquered the most difficult part of all: reaching the start line.’

When words aren't enough...

When words aren’t enough

Our overuse of superlatives sometimes leaves us grasping for words that can adequately convey what we want to say. What happens when I experience something that really is ‘awesome’? If ever I needed a better word, it was today.

This doesn’t make easy reading and it wasn’t easily listening but the experience of a tour of Claire House Children’s Hospice at the invitation of the wonderful Amanda Mitchell really does deserve a better word than awesome.

Right now, as I write this, there’s a young couple from Merseyside saying their intensely personal goodbyes to their stillborn daughter.

What was supposed to become one of the happiest of all life events ended in the unexpected shock and unmitigated tragedy of the baby dying in her mother’s womb as she approached full term. And that after months of growing expectation and preparation by family and friends for a completely different outcome.

There are two incredible spaces at Claire House called Butterfly Suites where bereaved parent and their close relatives have all the facilities, privacy, dignity, specialist support and, perhaps most important of all, the time they need to begin to come to terms as best they can with what has happened.

They are able to say their goodbyes, over several days, with hugs, words, photos and the opportunity to take treasured memories such handprints and footprints. Precious time together.

This particular family had no previous connection with Claire House but was referred by a caring hospital doctor – apparently not many are aware of the superb end of life facilities that Claire House offers. The alternative? Probably the best they could have hoped for was an hour’s visiting slot at a local undertaker’s chapel of rest.

It was moving, amazing, incredible to think that this heartbreaking scenario was being played out while we were in the building.

Claire House is a place for the support and end of life are for children and teenagers with life-limiting conditions. There’s seldom a happy ending and yet I have never seen so many smiling people in one place who derive massive satisfaction simply from using their skills and time to make a difference to those young people. As one of the team told us, it’s sometimes the little things that make the biggest difference.

The place is bright, filled with love and some superb facilities all designed to provide comfort, enjoyment, sensations, experiences and above all, happy memories.

We all know about hospices and many of us have visited friends and loved ones there but if we’re honest, they're not places we like to keep front of mind.

Our tour was as harrowing an experience as it was inspiring and uplifting. This is a place full of smiles and optimism, brimming with love and dedication.

Listening to the professionals when they speak of the joy of being part of giving young people and their families special memories is really humbling.  Goodness only knows the price these people pay for the emotionally challenging work they do. Awesome doesn't come close.

I’ve always thought it not much short of a scandal that such places have to rely on the generosity of companies and individuals for donations to sustain their work. Given their massive contribution to society, they deserve proper Government funding.

I was struck by how grateful the team is to do what they do; time and again we were thanked for the interest we’d show by just turning up for a tour.

It’s not the easiest of visits but it’s certainly one of the most emotional and thought-provoking. Go and see for yourselves and then tell others what you’ve seen.

Choosing the right PR/digital agency

Looking for an outstanding PR/design/digital agency? There are plenty to choose from and the vast majority of them are honest, hard-working and will do a great job for you.

The most important thing as a client is to be clear about what you need from an agency, and it’s vital to go in with a firm and realistic budget.

Depending on the size of the project and your budget, you may choose to put the work out to tender which will involve inviting a reasonable number of appropriate agencies to pitch their ideas and approaches.

Never think that you have to go to big city agencies for good work and great results: there are many smaller agencies around the provinces that can deliver first class work and offer a more personalised but equally effective approach, often at a more competitive cost.

Alternatively, make an appointment to visit two or three established local agencies and talk to them about what you're looking for and what you want to achieve. Satisfy yourself they have the skills you need, that they are people you can work with and that they really understand what you want. Was there a buzz around the place? Did they make you feel good? That’s important too.

If media relations is to form part of the approach, look for good writing skills and established media contacts. Also ensure they have the necessary digital skills for social media work. These days it’s not about just a press release – it’s all about ‘content’ and making sure messages are communicated through all the relevant channels.

Your chosen agency should be able to discuss and demonstrate the advantages of an integrated approach using as many channels as are appropriate.

If it’s a website you’re after, remember that there are three main elements: the content - words and images; the design of the site, and finally the actual building and maintenance of the site.

Some PR agencies offer all the skills in-house for all these elements but do ask the right questions. There’s no harm at all in an agency subcontracting some elements of a project as long as they tell you that’s what they’re doing.

Perhaps most importantly of all, look for creativity, passion and transparency. Choose an agency that makes you feel comfortable, that places adding long term sustainable value above short-term commercial gain, and that has real integrity.

Whoever you talk with, ask which members of the team will be working on your account and put in place a reporting structure with regular meetings. Any good agency will welcome scrutiny and embrace accountability. Agreeing KPIs is essential: these should be geared as much to outcomes as outputs.

Membership of a professional body such as the CIPR or PRCA is also reassuring.

Don’t worry too much about whether they have experience of your specific sector. It helps, but it’s the skills that matter most. And please don’t be nervous about telling an agency what budget you’ve set aside! It’s not about being mercenary, it’s  knowing what we have to work with so that we can use your hard-earned resources to best effect.

Any agency worth its salt will want to deliver great results so that they can keep and hopefully grow your business.

Look for an agency that will challenge your views and assumptions: they’re the experts. That’s what you’re paying for.

For example, we’ve had several clients asking us to quote for a website. They believe that’s what they need when they come in to talk to us. When we challenge them, it quickly becomes clear that what they actually want is more clients and customers. A website may have a role in achieving that objective but it may not be the most effective or only approach.

We’re immensely proud to have celebrated our 25^th anniversary this month. How have we survived so long in such a fast-changing and competitive marketplace?

It helps to be good at what you do, and we are: 14 awards in the last three years alone, including Agency of the Year and achieving the honour of being voted one of the UK’s top 150 agencies. We’re really proud of that.

But it isn’t just about being good t what you do and delivering results. People expect you to deliver. That’s what they pay for. It’s how you do it that gives you sustainability.

We work hard to build and develop a great team made up of people who support and genuinely care for each other, who are willing to leave their own egos at the door for the good of the clients and the business, and who trust each other enough to be comfortable in robustly challenging each other. Team de Winter is a great entity to belong to and it’s a massive compliment that people genuinely want to be part of it.

Our people understand and fully embrace the concept of ‘moments of truth’ where every email, call, welcome, report and meeting is a massive opportunity to engage, influence and develop relationships.

We have incredibly close relationships with all of our clients, some of whom we’ve worked with for over 22 years. It’s no coincidence, since we work only with people and organisations that share our values and for whom we know we can make a difference. Grasping for short-term commercial gain is simply unsustainable.

Openness, authenticity and trust are the cornerstones of our client relationships. They are our friends and which of us would ever wish to let down our friends?

We understand the importance of matching external perceptions with internal realities and we recognise that if you set out first and foremost to help your clients as people, add real value and make them feel good, financial success inevitably follows.

We’re a team in which people do what they say they’re going to do when they say it's going to do it. We practice stakeholder alignment: if we look after our people, they will give of their best, that will delight our clients, helping us to grow our business, please our shareholders and enable us to improve the team’s standard of living, completing the virtuous circle.

So, if you’re looking for an agency, look for:

• Shared values

• Genuine passion

• The right skills

• Transparency

• Accountability