Impetus support package:

Impetus investment period: 2011 - 2012 (Planning phase investment*)
Planning phase grant funding: £37,500
Pro bono services donated: £3,000                  Investment management value: £84k
Total funding package to date: £124k

Impetus has invested in Prison Radio Association as part of the Impetus for Reducing Reoffending Initiative.

Background to the investment:

Prison radio provides a unique way to reach some of the most vulnerable and hardest to reach prisoners and represents a key first stage in engaging prisoners in interventions that can help turn their lives around.  By having the capacity to reach into prisoners' cells 24 hours a day, the National Prison Radio Service delivered by PRA will have unique access to the wider prison estate.

The impetus for our involvement is PRA's potential to effect far reaching positive change in the attitudes and lives of prisoners as part of their rehabilitation and in preparation for their release.  PRA has ambitious plans to grow its impact and approached Impetus as an engaged funder, to support its scale-up plan.

Focus of Impetus expertise 2010/11:

• Support on impact measurement and evaluation, including questionnaire and focus group design
• Review of commercial income model and strategy for increasing social impact
• Strategic planning for the next phase of growth.

Key achievements 2010/11:

• Campaigns and Communication Manager appointed to help create and manage social action campaigns
• First two social action campaigns ("Time to Quit" - a smoking cessation campaign - and "Reasons to Read" - a campaign to recruit new Toe by Toe mentors for Shannon Trust) successfully conducted
• Sony Radio Academy Silver Award winner in the category of Best Community Programming
• Recipient of the Sandford St Martin Merit Award for religious broadcasting
• National Station Manager honoured with both a Butler Trust Award and a London High Sheriff's Award for service to the criminal justice sector.

 Read more about Prison Radio Association.