These are the usual steps involved in signing up to become a volunteer for Friends of Peterborough Prison. Please be aware that it can take up to 3 months before you receive clearance to go into the secure areas of the prison. Expand each heading to get more information.

We have a user-editable Microsoft Word version of our application form available from this link. This is our preferred application method. Please download the form, complete it as appropriate, and then email it to our Volunteer Coordinator, Taylor.Royal@foppweb.co.uk.

Alternatively, you can download a printable version of our application form by clicking this link.

Work Experience and Short-term Applications.

We are sometimes approached by school students looking for work experience in the prison. Unfortunately, it is not possible to accept these requests. The likely short duration of their attendance does not justify the considerable work and expense for the prison to process the necessary security clearance. Furthermore, there is an age restriction: security clearance will not be available to anyone under the age of 18.

If you are a university student who may be looking to spend, say, 3 months or more here, then we can give consideration to such an applicant. Before anyone can cross the threshold into the prison they must have passed the same rigorous security vetting procedure that applies to prison staff, officers, and anyone else who goes beyond the gatehouse. As indicated below, this process can take typically up to 3 months, so we would need your application to be made well before your intended start date. Even then, you must understand that there is a risk that the necessary clearance might not come through in time (we have had one instance where this process took over a year!), in which case you would not be able to go into the prison. Furthermore, the prison staff must find you a suitable placement and this also can take some time. The moral is: If you are seriously interested, please talk to us as early as possible. Details of how to get in touch can be found on our Contact Us page.

Friends of Peterborough Prison

Photos