HMP Five Wells community manager, Paul, receives national award for efforts rehabilitating offenders
The leader of a pair of community-focused projects in Wellingborough, Paul Cunningham, has been given an award for his work.
Mr Cunningham, the current business enterprise and community manager at HMP Five Wells, has been at the forefront of a project to put a disused bike track in Wellingborough back into use, as well as spearheading the opening of a community cafe in Pebble Lane.
For this achievement, as well as other outreach projects, a panel of judges voted unanimously to award him the Custody and Detention Staff Member of the Year Award at the third annual Skills for Justice – Inspire Justice Awards.
Accepting his award at a ceremony held in London on September 12, he said: “A lot of people are doing the same job as me across the country and to actually come away with a win – it’s fantastic.”
The Inspire Justice Awards hope to give praise to the ‘incredible individuals and teams’ who often go unrecognised for their work keeping the criminal justice system running smoothly.
Mr Cunningham’s role in the rehabilitation of offenders leaving the Wellingborough prison has meant that more than 450 prisoner placements have been secured to help their reintegration back into society.
Furthermore, Mr Cunningham has helped to install essential bleed kits across the prison estate, as well as working closely with the community, police and local authorities to deter young people from engaging in anti-social behaviour.
Amy Crawfurd, High Sheriff of Northamptonshire added: "I have been in regular contact with Paul Cunningham leading up to and in my year as High Sheriff, about his work at HMP Five Wells along with his extensive work engaging with the young in our community.”
Mr Cunningham’s efforts with the bike track began in the aftermath of the tragic murder of Dylan Holiday in August 2021. A proposal was created in January 2022 to turn the disused bike track into a community facility ‘to encourage the younger generation to have a space of their own’, and up to this point donations of £125,000 have been secured towards the project.
Chris Holloway, executive director at Greatwell Homes and has worked with Mr Cunningham on a series of projects in the local area.
He said: “I have worked with Paul in a partnership capacity for nearly three years now and have consistently been struck by his openness to deliver new projects that support the communities of north Northamptonshire, whilst ensuring the residents of HMP Five Wells make the best use of their time there.”