We welcome Donna Duffy to our team as our Trusts and Grants Fundraiser! We are committed to sourcing the valuable funds to continue the support we offer our community and our plans to move forward and grow Donna has over 20 years experience of working for charities looking after Trusts and Foundations for them. Her knowledge of this landscape is vast and she brings a wealth of experience. Her experience also includes working for some of the Trusts. Regularly called upon to speak publicly about the fundraising challenges faced by charities Donna is able to steward relationships and has a large network. In her spare time Donna enjoys spending time by the sea and watching Luton Town FC

A pleasure and a privelage to be invited to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley community fund awards again as they have generously continued their support of our work with an award of £7,750 to deliver support to our residents Matthew Barber and Jason Hogg (Chief Constable, Thames Valley Police ) have awarded 36 community and voluntary organisations £201,445 in the first round of this year's Community Fund. Over 170 organisations applied for over £1.2m of funding from the latest round of the Community Fund, with 36 organisations successful in receiving funding of between £500 – £10,000 to support one of the PCC’s Police and Criminal Justice Plan key priorities. Announcing the funding, Matthew said: “I’m really pleased to invest extra cash – taken from criminals by our hard-working police officers – putting it back into the fight against crime. Along with other projects supported by my Community Fund, these initiatives are making a difference across every area in Thames Valley." It was lovely to connect with other charities doing great work in our communities and look forward to beginning and nurturing relationships as we put the award to good use

“As a result of the continued growth of Hope and Vision Communities the trustees decided to restructure our senior team in order to ensure that we are ready for the next stage in our development. I'm delighted to welcome Treflyn Lloyd Roberts into his new role as CEO. Treflyn brings enormous experience both of our sector and leading organisations within it. He knows us very well, having been one of the founding trustees of Hope and Vision, stepping down from the board in the middle of 2023. This has enabled Tony Attwood to move to a new role as Head of Operations and Development, allowing him to focus on building relationships and developing opportunities as part of our expansion strategy. Hope and Vision will thus be able to utilise his skills and experience in looking outwards rather than having to combine this with his previous role as CEO. Our Head of Key Working, Kevin Randall, joined us in late 2023 having run a successful drug and alcohol rehabilitation unit in the West Country and is already building upon existing support mechanisms for the benefit of our residents. Together, Tref, Tony, and Kevin make a very strong senior team who will take forward the important work of making Tony's vision for our charity a reality.” Peter Ross, Chair of Trustees Exciting News! “We have grown considerably and are evolving and looking at the next stage of our development with some exciting changes taking place. My role is changing slightly to Head of Operations and Development, which has created space where we are pleased to welcome Treflyn Lloyd-Roberts to join us as CEO. I am looking forward to working alongside Treflyn to reach Hope and Vision Communities full potential with our mission and vision moving into our next season of stability and growth. Tony Attwood, Founder

"An unlikely friendship between two people with experience of the opposing sides of the criminal justice system...a wonderful story of how two people with different life experiences can come together to make the world a better place" Peter and I recently talked to Kaigan Carrie at Evolving Prisons, a podcast about people who have been incarcerated in prisons around the world. Thanks to Kaigan Carrie for sharing our story and shedding light on prison and the people in them. Have a listen and please share your thoughts, and consider subscribing to her podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3DuYEYzZb4y8KorU1lKwfI...

We are hiring for two part roles within our fundraising team: A Supporter Fundraiser to create and build relationships with corporate supporters and community organisations A Trusts and Grants Fundraiser to help us grow our existing income and build a strong portfolio of funder For copies of the job descriptions please send an email to tony(at)hopeandvision.org.uk referencing the role you're interested in.

“We did it” is a phase I wasn’t sure we’d be saying at some points this weekend but WE did it! Not only did we smash our target (every penny comes to the charity so please keep giving) but we also climbed mountains we didn’t think we could We’re really proud of the residents that took part. The route taken was an ultra marathon trail. Some guys said it was harder than getting to Everest base camp. We all laughed, some of us cried. The fellowship and everything we shared in those moments were more valuable than the steps we took. Conditions worsened as we faced rocks and ice, injury and weather warnings caused the decision to be made to stop at 26miles and 17peaks. There is talk of going back in May to do the challenge again to complete if anyone wants to have a go! I’ve decided to give that one a miss😂 With a busted knee and testing positive for Covid I am pretty broken, but my spirits remain high. We are surrounded by a group of friends who walk alongside us and through the highs and lows of life. They are a tribe of people who say yes to the things that seem impossible. Maybe you’d say they are insane, but for those of us that have had to walk these kinds of paths in life, it’s a tribe I’m proud to belong to. Your money makes a huge difference, but your friendship makes an even bigger one. Thank you to the 124 people that have donated to this challenge. Special thanks to our Ambassador Danny Williams for joining us, Paul Blair and Abingdon Extreme Fundraisers, Places Leisure and Day 1 Connectivity for making this weekend possible.

We are delighted to announce that Kevin Randall is joining us as our new Head of Key Working. Kevin is a 'bitsa' which means he's lived bits of his life in different countries including New Zealand, Australia and the USA. He grew up experiencing the same kind of trauma that many of our residents have faced and has been in recovery from substances for over 20 years. He first met Tony when he was running Freedom Communities, a Christian rehab programme in Devon. The pair bonded and their paths have remained crossed since. It has always been Tony's dream to employ Kevin within the charity - which proves that hope and vision really does matter, and miracles really do happen. Kevin is well qualified for the role. He has a degree in chemical dependency and 30 years working in the addictions field. The opportunity to help those who suffer by using an addiction to escape has always been a goal of his, and we are delighted to have him join our team because we know his appointment will make a significant difference to everyone we work with. He tells us: "I began working on my trauma many years ago and I have had many life experiences that help me to gain an understanding of addiction. My work is much more than a job - it is a calling and a way of life. I believe I was destined to be involved in this line of work and working with Tony feels like a privilege. God is clearly blessing him and is this, and all that is unfolding for him."

I wanted to tell you more about my friend Paul Blair who is leading the team climbing the 21 Peaks in a few weeks. Paul and I were in Bullingdon prison together and it was Peter, our Chairman, who sentenced us both. This photo is the moment Paul met Peter again for the first time since the court room. Paul experienced sexual abuse as a small child. By 12 he was selling drugs, believing himself to be a part of an untouchable gang who had become his new family. His highs were high, but his lows were low and by 17 he found himself in prison. He tells us “I couldn’t bear to be in society. I was always looking over my shoulder to see who would attack me next.” In 2014 Peter sentenced him for conspiracy to supply a class A drug. It was a serious enough offence for him not to get the grace of the community order that I had received. Our paths crossed over the years, and he's always been a friend. He tells us more about why he wants to help us: "I always thought I'd be in prison, always selling drugs. I was the man relapsing every two weeks. I was always starting again, and again, and again. I never imagined it would be any different but eventually I got it, and now I run my own business, I lead a boxing group, a cold water swimming group and Abingdon Extreme Fundraisers. The consistency of training has always helped me because it gives me a routine and a focus. It helps keep me on the straight and narrow. I remember hearing how somebody in the community didn't have the funds to pay for a grave headstone and I thought 'I can help with that!'. Now a lot of people with needs come and tell me about them, and if I can I help. I've probably helped around 25 good causes and my group do a fundraising challenge every month. The craziest thing I've ever done is run up Ben Nevis in my pants. My team has run the 3 Peaks in 19 hours. We rode the 140km Ridgeway on old 'granny bikes' with bells and baskets - that was fun! Our last challenge was to build a raft and float down the River Wye over 2 days for 40 miles. Even as we faced rapids with people begging us to get out, we carried on. That's what recovery teaches you - to be very fixed on the goal inspite of temptations. My advice to someone struggling? It's the same advice as I'l be giving to Tony and the lads as we're climbing the 21 Peaks. Never give up. You're far stronger than you think. Find the right people to have by your side, pick yourself up and keep on going." Please celebrate all that Paul has achieved by making a donation - however small. https://www.justgiving.com/page/21peaks-2days-1697746991338?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%2F21peaks-2days-1697746991338&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=pfp-share

This is Paul Blair. He and I have a few things in common: 1. We were in Bullingdon prison together 2. Judge Ross sentenced us both 3. We’re both crazy enough to climb 21 peaks over 2 days next month to raise money for Hope and Vision. Please share this post and consider donating to help more men like Paul and I learn that there’s no mountain you can’t climb when you’re with the right people. https://www.justgiving.com/page/21peaks-2days-1697746991338?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%2F21peaks-2days-1697746991338&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=pfp-share

The final episode of the More Than My Past podcast from this series featuring Tony has been released. It focuses on reducing addiction and crime. It includes Tony's perspective on how a punitive response is less effective. He asks whether an empathetic response would be more effective and cost efficient to society? Thank you Julie Muir and Jason Flemyng and the team The Forward Trust. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/d8jZJS7