Three organisations in Bristol have had a positive effect on the lives and futures of hundreds of ex-offenders and young people at risk of criminal behaviour.

With retail crime on the rise, last year Southern Co-op launched its £100,000 Safer Neighbourhood Fund which enabled a dozen programmes across the south to tackle the causes of crime and crime prevention.

In Bristol these included Changing Tunes, Empire Fighting Chance and Sixty-One with schemes for ex-offenders and young people who have been excluded or are at risk of exclusion from school and/or engaging in risky, anti-social and criminal behaviour.

Over the last year, Sixty-One, which works across Greater Bristol, has used the funding to expand its already successful MentorMe project helping ex-prisoners lead meaningful crime free lives.

Tim Snowdon, Director at Sixty-One, said: “MentorMe trains and supports volunteer mentors so they can provide practical and relational support to ex-prisoners. This support has been particularly important since the pandemic as many ex-prisoners are isolated and alone.

“With Southern Co-op’s help, our volunteer mentors delivered 1,032 mentoring sessions in 2020, an 85% increase. Of the 71 ex-prisoners supported just three went back to prison – a reoffending rate 12 times lower than the national average.”

One of Sixty-One’s MentorMe mentees said: “When I’m having a bad day, my mentor has been amazing at reminding me of all the progress I have made and encourages me to keep going. Through lockdown, having regular contact and support has made the difference between a small lapse (or no lapse) and a full relapse on drugs. Having someone who listens no matter what has really kept me going.”

Empire Fighting Chance has directly supported 3,398 young people across all of its programmes who have been excluded or are at risk of exclusion from school and/or engaging in risky, anti-social and criminal behaviour.

Across its Training with Champions programmes, participants were 88% more confident, 75% were no longer committing anti-social or criminal behaviour, 78% were more motivated and 68% were better behaved in school.

During the pandemic, Changing Tunes has adapted its post-release programmes and transferred its music and mentoring sessions online to facilitate music-making with beneficiaries and to provide pastoral support.

Rea Mole, Fundraising Manager at Changing Tunes, said: “Southern Co-op’s Safer Neighbourhoods Fund is enabling us to deliver music and mentoring work with ex-prisoners who are based in Greater Bristol, Bournemouth and Southampton.

“Our music rehabilitation work is person-centred and trauma-informed. In this way we are supporting our beneficiaries to achieve vital personal and social outcomes, in turn helping them to lead meaningful, crime-free lives.

“Going forward, we will continue to offer online post-release sessions alongside in-person sessions, so that we can extend flexible support to more ex-prisoners. We are also delighted to announce that we are launching a new record label and artist development scheme, called Red Tangent – the brainchild of a former beneficiary.

“This will be a pathway that our post-release beneficiaries can progress on to. It will support the professional development of ex-prisoners who have the potential and commitment to develop as musicians and producers.”

Two other Bristol charities – Avon Youth Club and The West of England Sport Trust (Wesport) – also received grants from the Safer Neighbourhood Fund which they hope to use for initiatives later this year.

The Safer Neighbourhood Fund has been co-ordinated with the help of Neighbourly, a giving platform that helps businesses make a positive impact in their communities by donating volunteer time, money and surplus products.

While crime is still a very serious issue across the retail sector nationwide, Southern Co-op is continuing to tackle it from every angle – causes, prevention, reporting and justice.

To find out more about Southern Co-op and its co-operative principles, visit southernco-op.co.uk/.