Bright Young Things Tutor Ex-Offenders in New Volunteer Initiative
Bright Young Things Tuition and Only Connect, a charity dedicated to the rehabilitation of prisoners and ex-offenders, are collaborating on a new project.
The new initiative brings together bright energetic tutors from the private sector who are volunteering their time to teach ex-prisoners a range of qualifications that will enable them to get to move from being net-takers to net-givers – contributing more to society than they have cost.
Only Connect's aim is to break the cycle of repeat offending by providing a safe and paternal location where the former inmates can come and look to build for the future.
The recently released former inmates of London prisons come to Only Connect's premises in Cubitt Street for a range of arts projects. Now this has been extended to one-on-one tuition of key life skills and preparation for academic exams.
Bright Young Things Tuition (BYT), founded by Malachy Guinness and Woody Webster, provides bespoke tuition, school placement advice, UCAS help and mentoring for pupils across the academic spectrum. Often the BYT tutors, including many Oxford or Cambridge graduates, are studying for Masters degrees or PhDs and provide tuition around their academic commitments.
The BYT / Only Connect Charity brings these highly motivated energetic tutors who command up to £70 per hour in the private sector, together with former inmates who have the will to learn but have often been handicapped by their limited educational experiences to date. BYT is able to do this through the good will and generosity of its tutors.
Woody Webster, director of Bright Young Things Tuition, explains, “We’re really excited about the prospects for this volunteer scheme with Only Connect. We’ve had a very high take-up from our teachers and the first round of tutoring has begun.
“Our tutors are some of the best money can buy and their energy, enthusiasm and love of teaching will help these recent former inmates get the best qualifications they can to start a new life post-prison.”
Danny Kruger, director at Only Connect, says: “By working with Bright Young Things tuition we are able to give our members a wide range of educational services which were out of our reach previously. It is great news for our members who are thirsty to learn but just need the right guidance and tuition to do so.'
ENDS
For more information please contact:
Woody Webster, Malachy Guinness
Bright Young Things Tuition
Info@brightyoungthingstuition.co.uk
Phone: 0203 086 8434
Danny Kruger
Only Connect
Info@onlyconnectuk.org
Telephone:
0845 370 7990
About Bright Young Things Tuition:
Malachy Guinness and Woody Webster founded Bright Young Things Tuition after leaving Oxford University, on the back of ten years' of combined tutoring experience.
Bright Young Things Tuition serves as a link between parents and graduates from top universities, providing bespoke tuition, school placement advice, UCAS help and mentoring.
Most of the tutors are Oxford or Cambridge University graduates. All our tutors are either training to be teachers, working as full time tutors or have a significant interest in the education sector.
About Only Connect:
Only Connect’s vision is of prisoners and ex-offenders being restored and valued for their talents and purpose. We see former criminals putting crime behind them, looking after their families, and working to fight crime in the next generation. They move from being net takers to net givers - contributing more to society than they have cost.
OC's mission is to use the arts to reach prisoners and ex-offenders, to provide practical support for personal development, and to involve them in a positive community of members who are committed to helping each other and young people at risk of crime.
OC was founded by Emma and Danny Kruger. Emma is a trained drama teacher with 10 years experience in schools, pupil referral units and prisons. In 2004-5 she was the London director of RaW (Read and Write), the BBC's nationwide literacy project. Danny is a former policy adviser, speechwriter and journalist.
OC's trustees are David Christie, former manager of Stepping Stones Housing; James Deacon, a probation officer with London Probation; Ruth Field, a criminal barrister; Stuart Lees, vicar of Christ Church Fulham, and Charlotte Rendle, deputy governor of HMP Wormwood Scrubs.