I've worked at New Bridge for 4 years, and every week we receive letters from the people that we support, saying what a difference their volunteer befriender has made to them, their outlook on the future, and their desire to progress through their sentence and live a crime-free life on release. We really do believe that our work helps create a safer society - that befriending reduces reoffending.

New Bridge is a charity which in 2026 is marking 70 years of supporting people in prison, providing a lifeline through the positive, non-judgemental contact with trained volunteer befrienders.

Many people in prison have no contact with the outside world, which leads to lonelier, more challenging sentences, with higher rates of poor mental health, and a higher likelihood of reoffending on release.

Connecting with a volunteer befriender via regular letters and prison visits gives people hope, optimism for the future, and reassurance that they will be able to build new connections on release from prison.

New Bridge befriendees rate the non-judgemental, uplifting contact of their volunteers are hugely valuable for helping them get through their sentences, as well as improving their self-esteem and hope for the future.

New Bridge receive new applications from isolated people in prison each week. Every donation helps meet the cost of continuing to provide befriending support in the charity’s 70th year and beyond.