ARC NWC member Active Lancashire, in collaboration with researchers from the ARC’s Equitable Place-based Health and Care (EPHC) theme and the IMPlementation and Capacity Building Team (IMPaCT) have designed and conducted a rapid process evaluation of their United Together project.

United Together is a unique initiative that provides a peer mentored support package, focused on strategies that mitigate the risk of re-offending post release from prison. Stakeholders involved in the project include Burnley FC in the Community, Accrington Stanley Community Trust, Blackburn Rovers Football Club Community Trust, Preston North End Community Trust, Blackpool FC Community Trust, Fleetwood Town Community Trust, Morecambe FC Community Sports and Cumbria and Lancashire Community Rehabilitation Company to identify eligible participants for the project prior to release from prison.

The project mentors begin by making an assessment of participant needs, steering them toward project partners from the More Positive Together project who can provide them with a vital support network as they begin to re-establish their place in their communities. A focus on sport and physical activity at the heart of the programme due to its vital role in the development of team building skills, confidence raising and the fostering of positive new relationships which can help bring about lasting behaviour change.

On release from prison, many individuals face a range of barriers to reintegrating back into the community, such as stigma, social isolation, substance misuse, and lack of access to housing and employment. The project intends to provide more holistic support to meet the complex needs of prison leavers, address barriers, and enable them to re-establish their place in the community.

Running since 2019, United Together has received positive feedback from prison leavers participating and has shown success in improving wellbeing, levels of physical activity and reducing re-offending rates.

Paula Wheeler, EPHC theme Manager, said: “Active Lancashire were keen in knowing more about what had influenced the project’s success and capture the value of the partnership approach they had used. Working with ARC NWC they have been able to develop additional insight and evidence of what elements of the project have worked well and intend to use the data to inform further funding proposals to further develop this model of delivery.”

Between July and September 2021, ARC NWC engaged with key stakeholders involved in managing and delivering the initiative to find out more about their actions, experiences and what they thought had influenced the project’s success.

Jane Moodie, Project Lead and Operations Manager at Active Lancashire, was interviewed about her experience of working with ARC NWC on this project.

‘’The ARC NWC team is very approachable with a can-do attitude and they took the time to understand the United Together project and our work in general here at Active Lancashire. They showed a real interest and offered some great ideas. This evidence will help us refine the project and make precise decisions for the future.” – Dr. Illiana Makri, Research and Insight Manager, Active Lancashire

A report is currently being finalised which will be uploaded onto ARC NWC website and shared with other members in the ARC NWC collaboration.

Professor Mark Gabbay, Director of ARC NWC, said: “This is a great example of a member tapping into the skills and depth of talent we have within our theme teams. I hope our work contributes towards helping this initiative continue to go from strength to strength.”

Picture credit: Burnley FC in the Community