Member Article

London charity The Upper Room launches its £50,000 ‘Big Give Christmas Challenge’ to get ex-offenders driving and on the road to work

*** The UR4Driving appeal runs from 28th November - 5th December, with donations made during that period doubled through Big Give In the past 12 months, 35 UR4Driving students have passed their driving tests** *

The Upper Room is today launching a campaign to raise £50,000 to help fund its life-changing UR4Driving programme. The campaign is linked to the Big Give Christmas Challenge – an annual match-funding initiative for deserving causes.

UR4Driving is an award-winning project that reduces re-offending rates by teaching ex-offenders and young people at risk of offending to drive in return for voluntary work. A driving licence is a gateway to employment, and enables them to turn their lives around and re-engage with the community.

After gaining his licence in 2021, Roy Gelly went on to join UR4Driving as a Project Support Worker: “What The Upper Room has given me, above all else, is stability and security. Through the programme, I’ve been afforded independence and a window into new experiences I assumed were beyond me. At the charity, I see first-hand the positive impact of our outreach, as well as the knock-on effect it has for friends and family, too. I believe The Upper Room is vital because it offers ex-offenders something tangible. The ‘Big Give’ will go a long way in helping us to continue our great work offering people who might be feeling hopeless a way forward.”

Iain Cooper, CEO of The Upper Room, added: “60% of prisoners enter custody having spent much of their life outside employment, and 15% have never had a job. Having a driver’s licence opens up many employment opportunities, and having regular work is one of the single biggest factors in reducing both offending and re-offending.”

The campaign launches on 28th November.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lucy Jefferson .