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Your feedback is important to us, if we can do something better, please tell us or if you would like to send us a testimonial please contact us. We started No Offence! to provide a safe space in which everyone can meet up on common ground, albeit ‘virtual’ common ground!
If you would like to leave a testimonial for us, please do make contact.
Sir Richard Branson
Recruit with Conviction
17th January 2013
James Timpson OBE
Recruit with Conviction
22nd March 2013
Firstly thank you very much for yesterdays conference, it was an engaging and thought provoking event and a real welcomed change from the typical corporate ‘this is what we do’ style. The service user/ personal experience perspective really brought the day alive.
Richard Broughton - The Ansel Group
DROP the TAG have received a lot of support from No Offence, they have gave us a voice on their forum. It was great to be given the opportunity to run a workshop at the conference. We have always enjoyed your events and as always the conference was interesting and challenging, we met many facinating people. People are encouraged to view their opinions no matter how controversial, and we love that from large organisations to individuals.
Carol-Ann, Anna, Carol & Danny - DROP the TAG
It is rare that I attend a conference and wish that it could have gone on for another day. A workable revolution promised much and delivered more. Ideology, aspiration and testimony inspired and challenged in turn.
Jane Gould - Clean Sheet
Crimes, the law and criminology change every year –No offence helps staff to network with those at the frontline of essential services and support network. The prices of training are very reasonable and you really should not miss it. I found out a lot by attending.
Barbara Roymacauley - Women in Prison
“it was a real pleasure to be involved with the team at No Offence when the Trust sponsored the offender accommodation project in September in Birmingham. No Offence put together a great set of speakers and organised some really useful workshops. I thought that the conference audience really enjoyed a varied day of high quality speakers who all showed real commitment to the issue of homelessness and the need for appropriate accommodation for offenders.The networking opportunities led to conference delegates making new links and meet people with a similar interests. It will be interesting to see what partnership working emerges from this conference. “
Rob Donath - Chief Executive, Fry Housing Trust
"No Offence" organised an excellent Criminal Justice Agenda Conference in Barlinnie - Scotland's busiest prison. Speakers included those from across Scotland's agenda, probably as broad as you can get. But doing all this in Barlinnie was a brilliant idea. I hope there will be more. Thank you again. Look forward to the next one."
Les Huckfield - Les Huckfield Research
The conference provided a great networking opportunity and brought me up to date with a wide range of initiatives in the field of criminal justice in Scotland.
Lisa Mackenzie - Policy and Public Affairs Officer, Howard League Scotland
This was a first rate conference, delivered and attended by policy makers and authorities in their field. The opportunity to participate has benefited me personally and the organisation I represent, and I’m better informed and better connected for it.
Alan Forgie - Team Manager, Includem Transitional Support Service
'Thank you and congratulations for a wonderful event. I have attended 4 conferences in the last two months and was becoming very cynical because of the lack of benefit on offer. Yesterday was the complete opposite - I thought you chose a perfect setting and had all of the right people in the room to impart their knowledge and experience.'
Mark Rait - Head of Communities, Shaw Trust
Sir Richard Branson
Recruit with Conviction
17th January 2013
James Timpson OBE
Recruit with Conviction
22nd March 2013
Firstly thank you very much for yesterdays conference, it was an engaging and thought provoking event and a real welcomed change from the typical corporate ‘this is what we do’ style. The service user/ personal experience perspective really brought the day alive.
Richard Broughton - The Ansel Group
DROP the TAG have received a lot of support from No Offence, they have gave us a voice on their forum. It was great to be given the opportunity to run a workshop at the conference. We have always enjoyed your events and as always the conference was interesting and challenging, we met many facinating people. People are encouraged to view their opinions no matter how controversial, and we love that from large organisations to individuals.
Carol-Ann, Anna, Carol & Danny - DROP the TAG
It is rare that I attend a conference and wish that it could have gone on for another day. A workable revolution promised much and delivered more. Ideology, aspiration and testimony inspired and challenged in turn.
Jane Gould - Clean Sheet
Crimes, the law and criminology change every year –No offence helps staff to network with those at the frontline of essential services and support network. The prices of training are very reasonable and you really should not miss it. I found out a lot by attending.
Barbara Roymacauley - Women in Prison
“it was a real pleasure to be involved with the team at No Offence when the Trust sponsored the offender accommodation project in September in Birmingham. No Offence put together a great set of speakers and organised some really useful workshops. I thought that the conference audience really enjoyed a varied day of high quality speakers who all showed real commitment to the issue of homelessness and the need for appropriate accommodation for offenders.The networking opportunities led to conference delegates making new links and meet people with a similar interests. It will be interesting to see what partnership working emerges from this conference. “
Rob Donath - Chief Executive, Fry Housing Trust
"No Offence" organised an excellent Criminal Justice Agenda Conference in Barlinnie - Scotland's busiest prison. Speakers included those from across Scotland's agenda, probably as broad as you can get. But doing all this in Barlinnie was a brilliant idea. I hope there will be more. Thank you again. Look forward to the next one."
Les Huckfield - Les Huckfield Research
The conference provided a great networking opportunity and brought me up to date with a wide range of initiatives in the field of criminal justice in Scotland.
Lisa Mackenzie - Policy and Public Affairs Officer, Howard League Scotland
This was a first rate conference, delivered and attended by policy makers and authorities in their field. The opportunity to participate has benefited me personally and the organisation I represent, and I’m better informed and better connected for it.
Alan Forgie - Team Manager, Includem Transitional Support Service
'Thank you and congratulations for a wonderful event. I have attended 4 conferences in the last two months and was becoming very cynical because of the lack of benefit on offer. Yesterday was the complete opposite - I thought you chose a perfect setting and had all of the right people in the room to impart their knowledge and experience.'
Mark Rait - Head of Communities, Shaw Trust
'No Offence pulls no punches in stirring debate about how we really do achieve this much needed rehabilitation revolution. Their ability to help opinion formers see the wood from the trees is very refreshing. Never has there been a greater need for better partnership working, effective use of all too often limited resources and the ability for us all to play to our unique strengths and skills. No Offence gives us all a platform to help make good things happen.
Rob Owen - Chief Executive, St Giles Trust
Having been homelessness, and through the judicial system it was extraordinary to be part of the Birmingham conference. Not only to see the level of commitment from the voluntary sector, but also to witness a high level of individual enthusiasm directed at support for offenders and tackling homelessness. Nevertheless it was poignant that lack of communication was a key “offender”. And therefore indicated by most throughout the conference.
Dan Oliver - Volunteer, Faith in Throughcare
As a volunteer lead resettlement service working with prisoners serving short-term sentences we are both highly affected by housing issues and do not have any real expertise in the area. No Offence's conference on offender accommodation and support was hugely informative and valuable to our work liaising with housing associations, local authorities and the private rental sector.
Mark Taylor - Volunteer Partnership Coordinator, Faith in Throughcare
I attended the recent conference on Offender Accommodation and Support in Birmingham with two colleagues from the Trust. We all felt it was an excellent use of our time hearing about a range of innovative projects through the presentations and workshops.
We made some really useful contacts on the day which we are now pursuing because of the impact suitable accommodation can have in reducing re-offending and managing risk.
We hadn't attended a No Offence conference before but were impressed by the conference organisation, hosting, and the range and quality of speakers and workshops.
Angie Buckley - Assistant Chief Executive, Greater Manchester Probation Trust
It was the first time Impressionable Minds had the opportunity to present our work to other criminal justice professionals. The conference proved to be an excellent forum to share good practice as well as a fantastic learning experience. We received some brilliant feedback on the day and hope to continue our working relationship with 'No Offence' for many years to come!
Russell Symons - Founder/Director, Impressionable Minds
The No Offence conference on 14th April was a refreshingly challenging event for everyone who was there. The mix of attendees was distinctive in that it included leaders and practitioners from the statutory, voluntary and private sectors but did not feel like just the 'usual suspects' getting together again. The reach that No Offence has achieved does seem to be broader than many events that I am asked to attend.
The workshops were outstanding for their range and the frustration was being limited by time to the number that could be attended in the day. The energy and the exchange that took place was exceptional.
No Offence has a formula for getting different people together to have rather different conversations about rather different approaches to the issues of victimhood, offending and how people might more easily turn their lives around - with the right - but maybe different - help and support and recognition.
A great day.
Gerry Marshall - Chief Executive, Thames Valley Probation Trust
"Streets of Growth is an award winning community-led Youth Intervention Charity. And yet, despite being internationally recognised in Gang Prevention, we have never been invited to speak on the national stage to help improve the UK practices - until No Offence! gave us the break at their Gang, Gun and Knife Crime event in London.
Attendees at the event were shocked to learn that many of our approaches even existed, let alone find that we have been doing this work for nearly 2 decades. Following the event, we were inundated with professionals visiting our leadership factory and offering us consultancy work, training their staff in innovative and community sustained interventions. We have also been asked to make a documentary for TV as well as consult in Europe. Most certainly, we would not have had this level of exposure had it not been for No Offence! giving 'grass-roots' organisations such as ours the chance to present alternatives to complement wider mainstream practices."
Darren Way - Founder, Streets of Growth
Very much enjoyed the conference in London on March 14th - fascinating and inspiring stuff.
Jon Clements - Crime Correspondent, ITV News
Excellent conference... came away excited and inspired...
Thank you for taking the initiative... looking forward to many more... be bold and courageous in all that you do with No Offence.. don't be afraid to ask the wicked questions as we often fall safe in the knowledge of our own world view and then miss out on new or different thinking knowledge and experiences....
Challenge us to think and be bold also...Your conferences and the Forum have the potential to be inspiring and provocative... provoke us to think outside the box and to reach out to others to improve our thinking and practice...
Valari Mitchell-Clarke - Senior Probation Officer, Nottinghamshire Probation Trust
"I was REALLY impressed with the buzz, the energy, the enthusiasm, the understanding, the wanting to make a difference of this bunch of people. It was such a contrast to the 2 recent conferences I’ve been to where the point seemed to be to spoon feed you government policy in a very top down way, and with little comprehension of the realities."
Lois Lodge - Partner, Health in Justice LLP
Having co-founded the Association of Panel Members for youth justice volunteers in 2006 to advocate for the fundamental importance of the voluntary sector in the justice system and for restorative justice as the default measure to tackle youth crime effectively, I am pleased to see that importance ( finally! ) reflected in this forum. Long may you run.
Sandra Beeton - Executive Director, AOPM
I was humbled when asked if I wished to Manage the Transition Sub-Group on this forum, like so many I am keen to meet new people for us and the clients under our care - this is the best and safest way I know of to do this. The No-Offence website is long over due, it has proven to already be of huge benefit to me and the service we provide. I can always ensure that the team and I are up to date and keeping our service truly holistic. Plus we have a truly great way to share our thoughts and idea's with like minded professionals and build a brighter future for all our communities. Please encourage all you know to join, as professionals in numbers = power in development, for the benefit of all!
Justin Coleman - Director of Transition, 2nd Chance Project
The No Offence forum has been a great way for us to connect with a wide range of professionals and practitioners either working in or on behalf of the justice system.
Richard Bryan - Managing Director, QA Research
This is cracking, the scope for all those with an interest in the criminal justice field to have a platform for networking and support; brilliant. What is the old saying 2 heads are better than 1, with the challenges and scope for needed advancement around criminal justice lets see as many people as possible join this forum, my hat off to Sue and Richard. This site is going to make a national difference once fully established.
Steve Lowe - Senior Manager, Serco
When I was asked to be a member of the group and then to run a sub group I had had no experience of social networking and was relatively new to justice work, it being a sub set of what my organisation does. I was upfront that I needed to learn from others experience and good practice and was not sure what I personally could offer. It did not take more than a few days 1) learn more than I could have done in months in day to day work to inform my work and practice and 2) to meet some of the most informative and experienced people in the world of offending work from every background possible. What it provides for me is the bank of experience and knowledge that I can learn from – what I can give I hope will grow over time. Well done all involved the sum of the parts is amazing but ‘the whole’ is unbelievable.
Dom Wood - Chief Executive, 1625 Independent People
First of all it’s not just joining the group but for me the benefit and support began immediately because being asked in the first place is an honour for someone with my background. For me personally it shows there are alternative level of communication that can be reached and utilised from a variety of sources. Some direct and (as I’ve become aware) as many in-direct as well. Having the opportunity to discuss various topic & comments and, having an input into the discussions has enabled me and the services we offer to be publicised in a totally new field and also, almost direct contact can be achieved. Receiving and hearing information about other organisation is a bonus in itself. I would recommend joining such groups & take advantage of good practice, free knowledge and advice, the opportunity to share views, opinions and comment with likeminded people folks and, you get to meet with some interesting people.
Derek Jones - Managing Director, EMAP
“The Reducing Reoffending group is an great asset to the wide and diverse Criminal Justice Sector. It provides a one-stop forum to hear the views of the sector, an easy and accessible way to keep up with developments and a ideal “marketplace” and “sounding board” to share ideas and thoughts, offer services and connect with either like-minded or totally at-odds colleagues and peers. In all ways, the discussions make the work of being on the pulse of things with the CJS just that much easier.”
Simon Fulford - Chief Executive, Khulisa UK
When I first accepted the invitation to Join the Reducing Re-offending group I didn’t really know what to expect. What I found was a tremendous opportunity to connect with many people across a wide range of sectors all with an interest in changing lives, and to discuss, and debate current issues affecting us all. I have made some very valuable personal connections within this group and am a member of a number of sub-groups. As a result of my experience I have recommended the group to many of my senior team and they are all involved in lively debate as well as networking and collaborating. I am absolutely convinced that my organisation can only benefit from these connections.
John Biggin - Director, HMP Doncaster (SERCO)
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