By law, every prison has a chaplaincy. For those wishing to become involved with the spiritual as well as physical and mental well being of those in our prisons, volunteering to work alongside the chaplain provides a range of fulfilling opportunities.

WHAT?

Chaplaincy activity is not restricted to a service on a Sunday morning or a cheery smile from the Chaplain on his or her visits round the wings. There are numerous demands on a Chaplain's time, ranging from one to one sessions with individual prisoners and group discussions through to arranging prison visitors for those inmates without family or friends to visit them and organising the visits of various external groups to the prison.

Chaplaincy volunteers help out with services, share in worship and generally provide chaplaincy departments with support and practical help.

The fact that people are willing to give up their time, especially at weekends, evenings and during festive seasons such as Christmas and Easter, to come in and share in worship has a profound effect on those men and women who attend chaplaincy events.

WHO?

Chaplaincy departments are multifaith so there are opportunities for volunteers from all religious and cultural backgrounds. If you are the proud possessor of musical talents (organists always particularly welcome) you will find that a guitar or a bass is an invaluable way of breaking down barriers both in performance and in after-service socialising.

HOW?

The first step is to contact the chaplain at your local prison.

If you do not have this information, you can find details of the nearest prison and relevant chaplain from the following address:

HM Prison Service Chaplaincy HQ
Horseferry House,
Dean Ryle Street,
London SW1P 8AW.

Phone 0207 217 8960

Perhaps you might consider volunteering as a church group to come in and conduct a service. It might be that as a parish you could form a link with your local prison and become regularly involved with the activities of the chaplaincy. Those of you who are members of the Religious Society of Friends might even consider the possibility of becoming a Quaker Prison Minister.