The Princess Royal visited Catch22’s London Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS) on Wednesday to hear about how these services support prison leavers with their rehabilitative needs, and to officially open the new “Wellbeing Room” for CRS staff based at Community Links.
Catch22’s Commissioned Rehabilitative Services help individuals through their transition back into the community, supporting them to lead a fulfilling life post-sentence. Our services aim to reduce reoffending rates by delivering holistic and individualised interventions that address and support the various and challenging aspects of community resettlement. Commissioned Rehabilitative Services are designed to complement primary probation interventions, where they do not meet identified specific needs, or when needs are outstanding following engagement in other interventions.
Catch22 delivers three major CRS contracts:
Many of our London Commissioned Rehabilitative Services are delivered out of Community Links, a hub tackling health and social inequality in East London and beyond. Community Links merged with Catch22 in February 2021. Our two organisations have complementary strengths, are closely aligned in terms of activities, objectives and missions, and have been part of an innovative strategic partnership since 2017.
Her Royal Highness’ visit was made in her capacity as Patron of Catch22, during which she received a tour of Community Links, before meeting staff from across the three Commissioned Rehabilitative Services to hear about their work. Practitioners spoke about the frontline interventions they use to engage service users, whilst representatives from Community Links spoke about why operating out of this iconic location facilitates high engagement across our services. Her Royal Highness also met with representatives from the partnership agencies with whom our Commissioned Rehabilitative Services collaborate to provide holistic support, before meeting four service users to hear about their experiences receiving support from Catch22.
The visit ended with the official opening of Community Links’ brand new Wellbeing Room, designed and refurbished to support the wellbeing of our staff, in which she unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion.
Matt Randle, Director of Justice at Catch22, said:
“Working with prison leavers to support in their rehabilitation and resettlement, be that with their wellbeing, finance, or dependency needs, is incredibly important work. We’re pleased to have been able to showcase this support and receive recognition from such a distinguished figure as HRH The Princess Royal.”
Elizabeth Booker, Interim Director of Communities, said:
“It was a pleasure to host our Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, at Community Links, where we could share with her some of Catch22’s frontline experience delivering Commissioned Rehabilitative Services. We’re hugely grateful she could open our newly renovated wellbeing room, which will provide a valuable holistic space to support the wellbeing of the practitioners who deliver this essential work.”