Don Gillanders - One 2 One Maths

Don is a retired solicitor from Cheltenham who, with a partner, has established a charity to improve numeracy within the prison population.

He was moved to action by statistics that show 65% of prison inmates have numeracy skills less than that which should be attained by an 11 year old.  The block to education being that 80% of inmates then reject the formal type of prison classes.

One 2 One Maths works on a pyramid peer mentoring scheme.  Prison officers recommend an inmate to the charity as being a suitable mentor.  Not always because they have better skills but that they are willing to learn and then teach others.

Using work booklets devised specifically for the scheme (they had problems with literature at this level all being aimed at children) the inmate can work at their own speed up through 7 levels.

Using strong branding, One to One Maths have their own mugs, wrist bands and pencils (apparently all highly prized in prisons - assumingly along with snout!) to overcome the stigma of learning.  Each mentor will then recruit as many other inmates willing to learn as they can, being supplied with learning tool kits and similar booklets without needing direct contact with Don and his partner.

The scheme at the moment is running at a maximum.  This is giving 15% of the British prison population the chance to engage with One 2 One.  A legacy left by a late friend of Don's matches pound for pound the monies raised by the charity.

Don was realistic in that One 2 One was not designed to prevent recidivism, but giving prisoners a basic level of numeracy, gives them self esteem and a chance to re-enter society and gain worthwhile  employment.

Thank you also to the one person who got most of the "maths puns" in the VOT!

Nick Radcliffe