A team made up of volunteers from the Bath and Bristol branches visit Ashfield Young Offenders Institute on a weekly basis. Ashfield holds young people aged between 15 and under 18 years. It is built on the site of the former remand center in Pucklechurch village between Bristol and Bath

The institute has the capacity to hold 400 young offenders in Single and double cells. The majority of the sentenced young persons are completing detention and training orders.

We visit in pairs, either on a Wednesday evening or a Saturday afternoon. Each volunteer has a choice of which day they would prefer to do. At the moment the commitment required is one 2-3 hour visit every 4 to six weeks.

Being part of the Ashfield visiting team is very rewarding but can sometimes be challenging. A lot of the young men at Ashfield have had a very difficult start in life and they really welcome the chance to talk in confidence without being judged.