Our philosophy
What unites us is our beliefs in a better world for women with convictions. Here's what we believe.
Our vision, mission and values
Our vision, mission, and values give us focus and determination to make a difference to women with convictions. These are the principles that underpin everything we do.
Our vision
A society in which no woman is held back by a conviction, and where she has the support, encouragement and opportunities she needs to reset her life and thrive.
Our mission
We provide women with convictions with the skills and support they need to develop their employability, and to help them to build lives that give them purpose, hope and financial independence. We also work to create better informed and more empathetic attitudes about women with convictions and to raise awareness about the issues that often underlie women’s offending.
Our values
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- 1 -Empowerment
We help the women we work with to identify and develop their strengths and resources. We encourage, support and empower them to live purposefully and become agents of positive change in their lives.
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- 2 -Integrity
We speak up for and alongside women with convictions and act in their best interests. We speak truth to power through our policy influencing work.
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- 3 -Partnership
We actively seek collaboration with organisations that support women who have been involved with the criminal justice system. We see our work as complementary to the work of many other charities addressing the needs of these women.
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- 4 -Learning
Our staff strive to continuously improve their knowledge and skills, and we adapt what we do and how we do it in light of what we learn. We actively listen to women who have been involved with the criminal justice system, and to what the women we work with say about us.
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- 5 -Respect
We do not judge the women we work with and we challenge discrimination and stereotypes that affect women with convictions. Our staff treat each other with respect and our culture is inclusive and welcoming. We hold in mind that people have different personal needs, values and beliefs, and that everyone benefits when we embrace and value diversity.
Our history
Working Chance was founded by Jocelyn Hillman in 2009, inspired by overlooked potential of the women she had met in women's prisons. She saw that many women were unfairly stigmatised after their release from prison and consequently were at high risk of reoffending. Jocelyn set out to change this and started cold-calling businesses to try to persuade them to consider hiring women with convictions. Since then, Working Chance has grown into a unique, award-winning charity. After ten years at the helm, Jocelyn stepped down as chief executive in April 2019 and passed the leadership baton to Natasha Finlayson.
Our strategic ambitions
In January 2021 we began delivery of our new strategy, which is our most ambitious yet. Between now and the end of 2023, Working Chance will grow in size, support more women, and broaden the support we offer to ensure that we can help women move on with their lives.
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Ambition#1
We will help more women with convictions to believe in themselves and to shape the future they want.
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Ambition
#2
We will ensure that women with convictions are listened to, and we will work with them to bring about systemic change.
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Ambition
#3
We will improve society's understanding of, and empathy towards, women who have convictions.
We need you
We rely on your donations to support women who need a fresh start. Please give whatever you can, big or small, so that we can help more women turn their lives around.