Spurgeons talked to the young carers we work with in the West Midlands about their lives as teenagers, carers and regulars at our young carers groups. Though modest and generally unassuming about their role, their identity as young carers is…
Category: Blog
Service in the spotlight: Giving Young Carers a voice
Census data identifies 173,000 young carers in the UK (2016), though BBC research projects up to 700,000, or 3 times as many, have caring needs that are yet to be identified. These young people are caring for a family member…
Helping prisoners and their children make happy childhood memories
When fathers in custody move in preparation for release to Britannia House, an open prison in Norwich, Spurgeons Brit House Dads Visits helps them get ready for parenting their children outside. During custody in Norwich, fathers can have family visits and spend…
”Our work helps press the ‘reset’ button”
It’s ten years since Spurgeons service Invisible Walls, based at Winchester prison, was launched. We asked Service Lead Kerry Longhorn, who helped set up the service, what makes it so special. How does working with men in prison fit with Spurgeons being…
Enabling communities to support struggling families
The Covid-19 pandemic has pushed many disadvantaged families into greater poverty; other families have been left vulnerable through redundancy, business closures and furlough. Spurgeons Together for Families project and Children’s and Family Centres have enabled community groups to safely provide…
Helping girls and young women at risk to believe for better
According to the Guardian, since 2019 there has been a 94.5% increase in under 18s reporting to have been criminally exploited – and around a third of these are female. In Birmingham, BeLeave helps those girls and young women who are at…
How the coronarivus pandemic has created a ‘perfect storm’ for domestic abuse
The coronavirus pandemic has created a ‘perfect storm’ for domestic abuse, with the escalation of incidents at a time when services became less accessible. Norwich Connect’s Service Manager, John Lee, gives us an insight into how the Spurgeons team have…
Cowboy outfits and Cod Liver Oil
Old Scholar Paul Board shares a slice of life, in poetry and prose, from his brief sojourn at Spurgeons former Children’s Home in Birchington. ”I grew up in the early sixties – I had two brothers and two sisters (and…
Service in the spotlight: Invisible Walls – helping fathers and children separated by imprisonment
Losel et al found that ”positive family relationships and frequent contact during a prison sentence leads to positive resettlement outcomes.”* Spurgeons’ pioneering project Invisible Walls, launched in 2011 with funding from the National Lottery, aims to support this journey. By…
Unlocking dads’ inside drive to be a Dad
Time for you and Your Child is an eight-session parenting course developed from 2011 by Spurgeons’ Invisible Walls programme, at Winchester Prison. As Kerry Longhorn, who leads Invisible Walls, explains there was a need for a parenting programme that was suitable…