Creative Change Collective National Lottery Community Fund Award

That the Parliament congratulates Creative Change Collective, an arts charity that works towards reducing offending and reoffending rates, on its recent award of £5,383 from the National Lottery Community Fund; applauds the programme, which will create a film and radio group in Scotland’s largest prison, HMP Barlinnie in Glasgow, and broadcast across other Scottish prisons; understands that the charity will use the award for equipment to be used in the production of its film and radio content; notes the previous work by the charity, with the creation of a scripted radio play around the theme of volunteering opportunities after release from prison, which was created and designed to support offenders to prepare for life outside of prison, making positive choices and helping them develop new skills and confidence; understands that Creative Change Collective uses the arts and creative processes associated with film, theatre and performance to help people achieve more positive outcomes, and that the charity also delivers a drama therapy programme, Anonymous Drama, to prisons; further understands that Anonymous Drama is also delivered to groups of participants serving community sentences, and in residential rehabilitation units to people in recovery from alcohol and drug addictions, and wishes the initiative well in its aim to ensure that many prisoners who would never otherwise consider being involved in arts or drama can access this outlet.