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26/08/2026
Actes Trust is delighted to announce the award of £19,995 from The National Lottery Community Fund through its Awards for All programme, supporting the continued delivery of Past, Present & Your Future (PP&YF), our established one-to-one reintegration programme for people with convictions.
The funding will enable us to continue providing tailored support to people with convictions who face barriers to employment, education, or training, helping them build confidence, develop new skills, and move forward with greater optimism about their future.
Personalised Support
Past, Present & Your Future is an award-winning provision that supports people with convictions to better understand how their criminal record may affect career and training opportunities, while providing practical guidance to help them progress. Through personalised one-to-one support, participants are helped to understand when and how convictions need to be disclosed, how different convictions can affect career choices, and how to communicate confidently with employers and training providers.
The programme also helps people develop disclosure statements, understand the difference between spent and unspent convictions, and access wider employability and specialist support where needed. Over the next two years, this new funding will allow Actes Trust to support a further 32 participants across Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees through a flexible, person-centred approach that enables people to engage at a pace that feels comfortable and manageable.
Demonstrating Real Impact
The programme has already made a significant difference to the lives of local people. To date, Past, Present & Your Future has supported 91 people with convictions, helping 31 participants move into employment and 38 progress into education or training. Feedback from participants has also been overwhelmingly positive, with all learners surveyed reporting increased confidence in applying for jobs, a better understanding of suitable employment opportunities, and a more positive outlook for the future.
For many participants, the programme serves as a vital stepping stone, providing the confidence, knowledge, and practical support needed to pursue further training and take the next steps towards sustainable employment.
One former participant said:
"I did my telecoms training and landed a belter job. I appreciate you getting in touch to check up and your help, my life's changed dramatically for the best. Thank you."
Investing in Positive Futures
At Actes Trust, we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to move forward, regardless of the challenges they may have faced in the past.
This funding from The National Lottery Community Fund will enable us to continue providing practical, personalised support that helps people recognise their strengths, overcome barriers, and take meaningful steps towards employment, education, and brighter futures. We are incredibly grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund and every National Lottery player whose support makes this work possible.
Thank you for investing in local communities and helping organisations like ours create opportunities for those who need them most.