Allen Paul

The main building, completed in 1962, at HMP Grendon. Photograph: Ben Gurr/The Times

A couple of years ago my club, Bicester Speakers, was lucky enough to be invited by Beckenham Communicators to take part in a workshop at HMP Springhill. Springhill is a male, open prison and we spent a day there doing various activities culminating in the residents writing a speech on a topic of their choice. It was a fantastic experience; really rewarding and I felt quite privileged to be there and see some of these men beat their fears and stand up and speak. When the prison asked us to organise another session, I jumped at the chance to take the lead. 

It was another 18 months before I met with one of the prison officers to make some plans. I turned up at the gate of HMP Springhill for the meeting but they didn’t have any record of me on the visitors list at the gate. “Are you sure you’re at the right prison? “ I was asked. It turned out that I wasn’t and I should have been at the second prison on the site, HMP Grendon. Grendon is a therapeutic, category B, male prison. It’s very different to Springhill. At Springhill the men are able to freely walk around the grounds whilst Grendon is very much the high fences, gates and bars that we tend to associate with prisons. Now at the right prison, I was shown around and introduced to some of the men. I was made to feel extremely welcome by everyone. We made plans for something slightly different; rather than just a single workshop we were going to set up a group that would meet weekly for 60 to 90 minutes. 

It took a few more months to get through the MOJ vetting process but finally in August 2024, the Gaveliers met for an introductory meeting. I vividly remember walking into that first meeting. I didn’t know what to expect or how many men were going to be there. I walked into 13 expectant men wondering what they had let themselves in for. I base the sessions around Toastmasters with the primary aim being to give the men confidence; to help them speak out in the various group sessions they do, to express themselves without resorting to swearing, to speak coherently and concisely in parole hearings or anything along those lines. 

We started by doing classic ice breaker style exercises to build rapport in the group. Since those early meetings we’ve had prepared speeches including a wedding speech, we’ve run debates and table topics as well as running through specific things that have come up in their week.  

Over the last six months or so we’ve built a group where everybody feels safe; it’s a safe space to try things, to give them a go no matter how worried they are about them, to share concerns, to be vulnerable, to fail and try again, where everyone is wanting you to do well and nobody is judging and to know none of it is going to leave the room. The men are more than happy (after a little grumbling) to embrace anything that I throw at them. They are especially good at giving and receiving feedback.  

I get a huge amount out of the Gaveliers. I was scared when I turned up to that first session. I had no idea what I was walking into nor what to expect. It’s given me confidence to deal with different situations; to facilitate an unknown group of people and to take people as you find them with no preconceptions. I get such a sense of achievement from seeing the massive improvements the men have made, the enthusiasm they bring to all the sessions and their desire to improve. They are incredibly protective of the gavel club and I am so proud of them and their achievements. 

I’d recommend this type of opportunity to everyone. It doesn’t have to be a prison, it could be any group or organisation. It doesn’t have to be on a long term basis like I’ve set up at Grendon, it could just be a small number of sessions. As Toastmasters, we’ve all got quite a unique set of skills which can be both valuable to share and rewarding. 

HMP Grendon is a category B training prison which accommodates around 200 men with varying sentences in a therapeutic community. Prisoners take part in regular group meetings and activities designed to help them develop positive relationships, take an active role within their wing, reduce their risk of re-offending and improve their psychological wellbeing. 

Note: The  author prefers to remain anonymous.