Mentors needed for military Veterans serving sentences in Peterborough prison

Care after Combat is a charity which supports military Veterans who have fallen on difficult times and who consequently have found themselves involved with the criminal justice system.

There are several reasons why Veterans struggle when leaving the military and some of those reasons can be directly related to their military service.

Care after Combat provides a mentor service to Veterans in prison and for a year post release.

Veterans who have worked with Care after Combat are significantly less likely to re-offend. The general prison population show a 45 per cent chance of re-offending compared to eight per cent of Veterans working with Care after Combat, the charity said.

Care after Combat is looking to recruit mentors within Peterborough and broader area.

Mentors are people with a military understanding or who have relevant experience. Training and regular support is provided.

The mentor role involves visiting prisons to meet Veterans face-to-face and after release, at local pre-arranged venues. Meetings take place a minimum of once every four to six weeks.

The mentors work with the Veterans to identify any unmet needs and to enable them to address and overcome challenges so that they can successfully manage their personal needs.

Mentors will require their own transport and will need a full driving license. The role is voluntary and all expenses related to mentor visits are reimbursed.

The charity said: “Many of our Veterans have previously felt let down. They require a friendly and trustworthy working relationship that is there to stay throughout their time of need.”

Information about Care after Combat is available via http://www.careaftercombat.org/.

To talk to a member of the team call 01636 557704.

The charity was founded in 2014 by: Jim Davidson, Simon Weston and Gary Cryer.