SACRO

SACRO,  the Somerset Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders, is a registered charity which provides small grants to people who have served sentences restricting their liberty.   It is open to applications from those living in the county of Somerset including the districts of Bath and North Somerset, Wansdyke and the area covered by Somerset County Council.

It helps people back into work, gain new skills, purchase necessary equipment, and pursue interests which will keep them from further offending.

It encourages involvement in areas such as sports and the arts which foster self-confidence and involve people in the wider community.

Applications come mainly from the Probation and Social Services on behalf of individuals who need financial help to make a fresh start.

Our honorary officials
Chair: Chris Davies
Treasurer: Andy Hill
Secretary: John Andrew

When someone is released from a custodial sentence they often lack the funds to start a training course or buy essential tools and equipment for work.  They may also need the basics most of us take for granted; for instance, work boots, a pair of trainers, a crucial bus fare.

We can help them with grants of sums appropriate to their needs.  Often an initial small sum can be the catalyst for change.

” ...It has been a busy year for me and I have found the course demanding, instructive and rewarding.  I am now in the process of applying for a degree course and am looking forward to the future …”  

Extract from a recent thank you letter to SACRO from a recipient now studying Art and Design in Taunton.

 

Applications for a SACRO grant

If you are a member of the National Probation Service or Working Links, please make an application on behalf of an offender.

Applications on behalf of offenders come from the probation or social services and sometimes from other agencies such as Citizens Advice Bureau.  All applicants must take responsibility for ensuring any grant is used for the purpose intended.

Please email info@sacro-charity.org.uk.

 

If you are serving or have recently served a custodial sentence, please ask your probation officer about the possibility of a SACRO grant to help you get back on track.

Discuss the possibilities with your probation officer or Working Links contact.  If you are under 18, talk with your social service worker.   Grants, if allowable, are made promptly for sums from £15 – £300.

Please note that no grants are given directly to the person who will benefit.

 

SACRO helps people manage the transition between a custodial sentence and life outside.

In the last months we have been able to award grants in the following cases.

Recipient 1 needed funding to enable him to travel by train to the full-time job he was offered a distance away.  He is still in the job after six months and is doing well.

Recipient 2 needed work boots and necessary site equipment to enable him to get a job as a labourer.  He started work as soon as he had the equipment and is really enjoying it.  His mental health has improved as a result.

Recipient 3 needed funding to travel to work.  He’s now got a job which he’s enjoying.

Earlier recipients had a range of broadly similar needs:  boots, work clothes, equipment and travel funding.  One recipient on life licence moving from a hostel into accommodation needed help to buy crockery, cutlery and cooking utensils.
Someone else was released from prison in the clothes he stood up in. We made a grant of £70 for him to buy essential clothing.
A juvenile offender, whose mother is an addict, needed identification documents at a cost of £48, which we granted.

By considering and awarding grants speedily, we are able to make an immediate difference to people’s circumstances.

SACRO has funds to provide small grants to people who meet our criteria of location and circumstances.

However, we do rely on donations to make it possible to reach the increasing number of people in need.

All donations are used to benefit the ex-offenders.  The Officers and Trustees of the charity give their services voluntarily and receive no remuneration.