fbpx

Spurgeons Invisible Walls Service

supporting children and fathers separated by imprisonment

This Christmas, please give support and hope to more families like Rylie's

Phil did not know if he would ever meet his baby daughter, Rylie who was born with Cystic Fibrosis. At two days old, she had been rushed into surgery as her mum, Di, waited outside. Alone. Phil was desperate to hold his little girl but that wasn't possible.

Phil found himself in a position where his past was directly impacting his present, and he was devastated.

''I accept that I had done wrong, but I wasn't expecting to go into prison,'' Phil admits. ''It was the week before Christmas and Di was eight months pregnant...our world collapsed around us...I felt I should be there to support my family, but I couldn't.''

A gift of £9 could provide a Dad and his family with a communication pack to enable them to share experiences whilst separated by lockdown.

Phil needed a miracle. On hearing the desperate situation the family were in, Spurgeons Invisible Walls colleagues, presented the case to the prison Governor, requesting to allow Phil to be with Rylie and support Di; an extraordinary request that they never expected would be granted.

''We recognised Phil as a dad, not a prisoner. We always tell those we support that we are not interested in why they are in prison; we are here for them as a dad.''- Kerry, Family Services Manager at HMP Winchester

Donate

£
Select Payment Method
Personal Info

Credit Card Info
This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.
Billing Details

Reclaim Gift Aid

Gift Aid It!Add 25% more to your donation at no cost to you. A Gift Aid declaration allows Spurgeons to claim tax back on eligible donations. It means that for every £1 you donate to Spurgeons we can claim back 25p, at no extra cost to you.

Tell me more »

By ticking the "Yes" box, I agree I would like Spurgeons to reclaim the tax on all qualifying donations I have made, as well as any future donations, until I notify them otherwise. I understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in that tax year I may be asked to pay any difference. I understand that Spurgeons will reclaim 25p of tax on every £1 that I give.

What is Gift Aid?

Gift Aid does not cost you a penny more, but can add an additional 25p to every £1 you donate. When Spurgeons receives a donation from a UK taxpayer, we're entitled to claim an amount of tax (calculated at the basic rate of income tax in that year) paid on that donation. Once you have given your permission for us to do this on your behalf, there is no need for you to do anything else.

All that is required is that you must be a taxpayer and that would have paid or will pay sufficient Income and/or Capital Gains Tax to cover all the Gift Aid claimed on all your donations in that tax year. Please note that it is your responsibility to pay any difference.

The amount of tax we claim will be 25% of the total value of your donations in that tax year. Furthermore, if you are a higher taxpayer, you are also entitled to claim the difference between the basic rate which we will claim and the amount of tax you have actually paid. For further details on how you can do this, please contact your tax office. If your tax situation changes and your gifts will no longer be eligible for the Gift Aid scheme please contact us and we will amend your record accordingly.

Take me to my donation »

Keep in touch:
We'd like to stay in touch so we can tell you about the impact you have made and also share opportunities to help others in need. Your support is vital and is very much appreciated. Please note we will always be mindful of how often we communicate and you can update your preferences at any time. If you already receive emails from us and would like to continue to receive them please select 'yes' below.
Tick the “yes" box above to receive updates from us. If you don't wish to be contacted, please tick the “no" box. You can opt out any time by calling 01933 417388 or emailing us at supportercare@spurgeons.org.
For more information on how we keep your data safe, please read our Privacy Policy.

Donation Total: £18.00

{amount} donation plus {fee_amount} to help cover fees.

PB

Phil and Rylie enjoying a cuddle and a book together during a Family Day visit organised by the Invisible Walls Team at HMP Winchester

A gift of £18 could help children hear their Dad's voice on Christmas day, through an audio recording of him reading them a story. 

Phil says it best in his own words, just how much of a difference Spurgeons made:

''It's not just life changing for me, it was life changing for my wife and kids too, it absolutely kept us together. It was the difference between life and death for me. Seriously it was.'

Spurgeons supports many fathers at HMP Winchester through our Invisible Walls programme. From our experience, a strong family relationship, and the desire to get home, is helping dads in prison get their lives back on track, and stay on track, after release.

The award-winning Spurgeons Invisible Walls service has supported almost 40,000 visitors through our visitors centre and 9,200 children through our play area that is open during prison visits. The service has supported approximately 1,750 fathers in custody through casework.

Invisible Walls has won praise from Lord Farmer, whose Review stressed the importance of strengthening prisoners' family ties in the prevention of reoffending and intergenerational crime.

A gift of £36 could help us support more Dads like Phil through 1:1 work, bringing families together, keeping families together. 

Christmas can be an especially difficult time, both for dads in prison, and the families affected by a prison sentence. Your donation can help support a family when they need it the most, helping dads be great parents to their children, enabling them to bond as a family under the most extreme of circumstances.

Your support can help strengthen families, protect children, and restore hope this Christmas. Thank You.

Donate Now

Prefer to donate over the phone? Call 01933 417059 Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm.