The Nationwide Foundation are funding us for core costs as well as for developing new projects. In 2007 they provided funding for us to deliver story telling workshops in twenty four of our member prisons. We also piloted some story writing workshops and in 2008 we will be running more of these at Dartmoor and disseminating them into some of our member prisons. These workshops enable imprisoned parents to write a story for their child and produce a ‘book’ to accompany the CD. This means imprisoned parents can help with their children’s literacy development.

Alison Dine Library Assistant & StoryBook Dads co-ordinator HMP Portland.

• “In 2007 we were lucky enough to be able to host a story telling workshop provided by Storybook Dads. This gave prisoners who had already completed a recording, the chance to actually come up with their own story for their child. This was enjoyed by all participants and this workshop led into another project called Keepsakes. All these projects are a means to keep the prisoners involved in their families and children’s upbringing, which in turn helps to reduce the rate of re-offending. Storybook Dads is an integral part of this.”

Emily Keogh Nacro Housing and Resettlement Coordinator HMP Garth

• "Storybook Dads sent a storyteller to us for a two day workshop in May 2007. The men who attended the session achieved a lot and were glad they attended the workshop. It enabled the men to be more confident at reading stories and has equipped them with the skills to make up their own stories to read to their children. I would like to thank Story Book Dads for all their hard work during the time they have been working with Garth and hope to continue the great work into 2008. "
  
  We are also working together with the other five charities in the Nationwide Investor partnership programme to deliver projects and workshops that help prisoners’ families. We have worked in partnership with the Prisoners Families and Friends Service to transfer data on leaflets for prisoners’ families into an audio format for those with poor literacy skills.
  
  We also ran a joint project with Castlegate Visitors Centre (HMP Gloucester) in which prisoners and families joined in activities and recorded stories and songs during an all day visit.
  Some of the most notable points from evaluation sheets include:
• 85% said that they loved reading together as a family (the remainder liked it a lot!)
• 100% agreed or strongly agreed that reading with their Dad made the children happy and helped them feel closer to him
• 100% said their children liked or loved doing the CD covers & puzzles

And perhaps most importantly:

• 100% said that the Storybook aspect made the visit much better

What did the families think was the best thing about the workshop?

• The whole family reading the book together
• All of it. Thank you very much
• Dad can walk around and play with his daughter
• Children being able to do stuff with dad
• Seeing Daddy
• Spending time with Dad and listening to him read
• Stories
• Other comments
• Just to say thank you all
• It’s real good
• We really enjoyed it
• They enjoyed it and could get off chair and do stuff with dad
• It was fun
• Enjoyed it