Reducing the 57% – HMP Lowdham Grange Book Donation

Published by Skills for Justice

On 5 July, Skills for Justice got the chance to visit HMP Lowdham Grange. The visit was arranged following a LinkedIn post from Wayne Peters, Head of Education, Skills and Work at the site, requesting book donations to support their reading strategy to improve prisoner literacy.

Wayne posted that ‘figures published by the Ministry of Justice in 2023 stated that 57% of adults in prison in the UK have a reading level below that of an average 11-year-old. At HMP Lowdham Grange we are trying to change this by promoting reading to our prisoners. We are looking for support with new books, magazines, or comics on a regular basis.’

Literacy is a fundamental skill, one that opens doors to education, employment, and personal development. Access to a diverse range of reading materials promotes stimulation of intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, empathy and understanding. Books can impact a prisoner’s perspectives and aspirations.

Skills for Justice looks to support the sector and help promote social value, and this was a great opportunity for us to find out more about the efforts of Wayne and his dedicated colleagues.

Wayne was calling for books in the genres of historical fiction, thriller, science fiction and sport. Colleagues from across the charity got behind the book drive to provide donations, alongside a generous contribution from Devizes Books, and bolstered by using our Social Value Fund. To promote maximum accessibility, we also sourced dyslexia friendly books.

With books in tow, Client Directors Matt Girdlestone and Laura Schell met with Wayne, and Governor, Neil Thomas OBE, to have a tour of the site. The prison had a range of workshops, classrooms and media suites, demonstrating the commitment from HMP Lowdham Grange to providing accessible learning and development opportunities for the secure population. HMP Lowdham Grange are working towards having accessible books on all wings along with workshops to promote reading across the site, rather than prisoners having to attend the library, which may be restrictive.

Following a discussion about existing HMPPS workforce capability and capacity challenges and opportunities, it was clear that Wayne and Governor Thomas are deeply committed to developing the skills of both their staff and their prisoners, through training and education.

We hope our donation unlocks potential, inspires change, and builds a brighter future for the reader – and look forward to supporting the site with their prisoner literacy efforts in the future.