HMP Lowdham Grange hosts popup book shop by The Children’s Books Project

In late September, HMP Lowdham Grange’s family support team (AKA Families First) worked with the registered charity, The Children’s Books Project to run a popup book shop for to the prisoners.

Prisoners were able to browse a book for each of their children (with help from volunteers and Education staff) and write accompanying letters, before their parcels were posted to the children on their behalf.

The main aim of the collaboration is to help prisoners maintain ties with their children and reminding prisoners who are fathers that they can still play an active part in their child’s life and development. It can also play a crucial part in a prisoner’s life after their sentence, where having a loving and supporting family helps to greatly reduce their chance to reoffend. 

The event was a great success and saw over 40 prisoners attending with over 140 books posted out to their children.

A few prisoners at Lowdham Grange gave their feedback from the event saying:

“I think the book project is amazing, my daughter will be so happy with her book and I’m so very grateful”

“I think that this was a really good for prisoners to surprise their kids, the people there were really polite so thanks a lot”

“I want to thank you for an array of book choices they were spot on for all age groups. The books look brand new and in amazing condition.  Thank you for facilitating the much-needed book event. From me and my kids, thank you”

“This really means a lot I am very grateful for you’s taken the time to do this for prisoners.  Due to COVID this really helps a lot.  Many thanks”

The Children’s Book Project is a registered charity that works in multiple settings across the UK to redistribute thousands of new and gently used books to children and their families. They have also started working at Serco run HMP Ashfield, where they held a similar event for prisoners there.

Families First and The Children’s Book Project will be running more events like this throughout the year and look to send books to children at Christmas.

Lowdham Grange will also be having a book hut in the visits centre so children can read a book with their family and take it home to read.