We’re thrilled to announce that The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and Barrow Cadbury Trust will support the substantial growth of Switchback’s influencing and policy work over the next three years.
The new funding, a total of £298,000 from Esmée Fairbairn and £134,000 from Barrow Cadbury Trust, represents a significant endorsement of Switchback’s new strategic direction set out in 2019 – to inspire change across the system alongside expanding our delivery programme – and the charity’s early impact across politics, government and the media.
Recent successes include the growing influence of Switchback’s pioneering Experts by Experience Board, coverage across national media, launching our first campaign to Reshape Release, helping to raise the prisoner discharge grant for the first time in 25 years, and publishing a groundbreaking new podcast, Time & Again foregrounding the voices of young prison leavers.
Esmée Fairbairn and Barrow Cadbury’s grants will enable Switchback to build on recent progress by further amplifying the voice and influence of young prison leavers in policymaking and challenging social and racial injustice across the system – a core part of Switchback’s brand new 3-Year Plan: A Platform for Change.
Switchback Founder & CEO Alice Dawnay said:
“This support from two esteemed funders is a wonderful show of faith in Switchback’s plans to challenge social and racial injustice across the system. The powerful insight of Switchback Trainees, underpinned by our extensive evidence of success, is a combination that truly sets Switchback apart and gives us huge potential for further impact. We’re thrilled that Esmée Fairbairn and Barrow Cadbury Trust have given their backing to scale up Switchback’s influencing work and support even more young prison leavers to drive change themselves.”
The Barrow Cadbury Trust said:
“Barrow Cadbury Trust’s Transition to Adulthood (T2A) campaign focuses on finding solutions as well as explaining why young adults are a unique group which needs tailored services. Switchback’s intensive 1-to-1 support prior to and following release from prison shows how this can work, particularly for young men who have been marginalised. T2A and the Barrow Cadbury Trust are very pleased to be supporting Switchback’s work to amplify the voice and experience of young adult prison leavers to influence change in the system.”
Elton, Experts by Experience Board Organiser, said:
“I’ve been attending Switchback’s Experts by Experience Board meetings because I like the fact that people from different demographics and backgrounds can come together to talk about things we don’t normally discuss with our friends, and to better the justice system. We really appreciate the funding, which will allow us to have even more constructive conversations and make a difference.”
Switchback works hard to raise funds from a diverse range of funders who believe in our work. We are delighted that Esmée Fairbairn and Barrow Cadbury Trust are joining us in the next exciting part of our journey so that together, we can support more young men to live stable, rewarding lives.
