I've got socks. Was the cry of a prisoner when receiving his gift bag. This has always stuck with me; that just a pair of socks could make someone so happy.

Christmas is a very lonely time for prisoners and one when incidents of self-harm and suicide increase. That's one of the reasons we run the Christmas Gift Bag project giving 1,400 Bristol based prisoners a simple bag of gifts. Another is that it helps promote the post-release support we can offer through mentoring and community based projects. The bags cost about £6 each, yet they are received as though they were made of gold.

'Bob' received a Christmas gift bag some years ago, and having seen the details of the support that we offer, he asked prison staff to put him in touch with us. He went on to do the course we were offering in the prison, and then we supported him once he was released with mentoring. He's now living free from crime.

We've literally got dozens of messages from prisoners like the one below:

'I would just like to say a massive thank you to all of you involved . I personally think it is an amazing gesture and really helps to lift peoples spirits it is reassuring to know that not everyone will judge me once I'm released and to know there are people who care, regardless of what I have done in the past'.

We also want to thank those working in the prison as well - as its a tough job. So we also give prison staff a selection of festive goodies to eat, just to say 'thank you' for the valuable work they do.