'The New Horizon' opens in HMP Perth

'The New Horizon', a space for those in our care to get support, has been launched by the Chaplaincy team in HMP Perth.

The prison-based Chaplains will run a number of groups and courses in partnership with other SPS staff, the CrossReach Visitor Centre staff and volunteers, the NHS Mental Health Team and Prison Fellowship Scotland.

They will seek to explore issues such as bereavement, mental health, parenting apart, and looking for new direction in advance of being liberated.  

Douglas Creighton, Chaplain at HMP Perth said: “The New Horizon represents the idea that when you walk towards the horizon it doesn’t remain the same, it is constantly changing.  That is what I hope will be realised with this space.  A number of residents, staff and external partners have been involved in shaping this and we look forward to seeing how it benefits those in our care.” 

One of the first workshops was delivered by ‘Care for the Family’, a partner organisation who are helping to enhance HMP Perth’s parenting groups.  

The workshop ‘A Mind of their Own’, invited the men and their partners to learn how to build their children’s emotional resilience and wellbeing.

The families who participated were all gifted a copy of the book, which the session was based on, to work through with the support of Chaplaincy at a new parenting group ‘Men Behaving Dadly’. The purpose of the group is to support the men ‘be dad’ even though they are living away from the family home.