Catch22

21/08/2026

Catch us on the radio! 🎙️

Our Director of Justice, Matt Randle, joined BBC Radio Solent to discuss the ongoing topic around prison early release and what happens next.

He discussed how Catch22 supports 25,000 people in and leaving prison every year and how the first two weeks after release are critical. Themes also focused around the risk factors to those leaving prison, both practical and personal such as housing, money, lifestyle, emotional wellbeing.

🎧 Listen from 43:31 on BBC Sounds:

Your say on what matters today and The Rewind from 1pm.

06/08/2026

Last week, we were delighted to take part in the Grosvenor S&S charity football match. A day of community spirit, sportsmanship, and around £1,300 raised for Catch22.

Congratulations to winners SW Bruce & Co. Ltd and MCD Heritage, and to finalists Savills FM+ and Daikin UK for being the runners up. 🏆

Thank you to everyone who donated, took part, and to Grosvenor for organising such a brilliant day and for our continued charity partnership.

03/08/2026

“It’s brought me out of my shell and given me excellent confidence.” ⭐

This is from someone who attended our justice wellbeing day in London, and it’s this kind of feedback that tells us the day was successful.

We brought together people on probation, together with with organisations that can actually help them. They provided practical advice, employment support and conversations that would otherwise take weeks of emails and referrals. Alongside that, we also provided food, hot drinks, clothes, toiletries and free haircuts.

One of our partners put it best: “If I can’t do it, I know somebody you can approach.”

That’s what a community looks like in practise, and why place based support is so effective. It’s one of the ways we are .

Thank you to Single Homeless Project, XO Barbers, XO Bikes, Reed in Partnership, Support When It Matters CIC and The Clink Charity.

01/08/2026

Grooming rarely looks the way people expect.

It doesn't start with a stranger and a van. It starts with attention. A compliment. Someone noticing a young person when it feels like no one else is.

Our Catch On resource breaks down how the grooming process progresses. From targeting and befriending, through to hooking in and control. Understanding the pattern is the first step to spotting it.

📖 Parents, carers and professionals can find practical guidance in our CatchOn Parents Pack: https://www.catch-22.org.uk/resources/catch-on-parents-pack/

We will continue to Draw the Line and put an and to the exploitation of children and young people.

29/07/2026

Too many young people face real barriers getting into work. That’s why we’re calling for every young person to have the opportunities and support they need to thrive. Employment is one of the strongest drivers to reduce reoffending. Good for individuals, and good for whole communities.

Our Y2A Mentoring service supports young people at the Y2A Hub in Newham, helping them build the skills and confidence to move into work. We recently ran a jobs fair at the hub to open even more of those routes.

Here's what one young person had to say about it:

"I thought it was brilliant. I liked speaking to different organisations and stalls. It was great to speak to people about construction and barbering courses. Everyone was really friendly and easy to talk to."

Co-location is already built into how the hub works; our mentors sit alongside probation and other support services who come into the hub in person on a regular basis. This makes it far easier for young people to engage with all of them. The jobs fair took that further, by bringing in organisations from outside the hub's usual network so young people could explore training and employment options all in one go.

A huge thank you to Our Newham, Osmani Trust, XO BIKES, Bounce Back Project, Spark2Life, The Dusty Knuckle, and Catch22's own Digital Edge programme for joining us, and for the time they gave to every young person who came through the door. And thank you to every young person who made the day a success.

Find out more about the service: https://www.catch-22.org.uk/find-services/y2a-mentoring/

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29/07/2026

At just 13 years old, Joshua didn't realise he was being exploited.

He knew that something didn't feel right when an adult in his community began paying him attention, buying him gifts, and making him feel guilty about it, but he couldn't quite put those feelings into words. The situation had gradually become part of his daily life, leaving him feeling confused, anxious, and unsure of who he could trust. He hadn't told anyone what was happening because he didn't fully understand it himself.

But things started to change when Catch22 started to deliver sessions on exploitation prevention in his school. These sessions focused on emotions, resilience and seeking support, and how these difficult experiences affect the way we feel.

By opening up conversations about emotions and vulnerability, facilitators helped create a space where young people could reflect on their own experiences and recognise that they did not have to face challenges alone.

Through being given a safe space to explore how he felt, something started to click for Joshua.

He recognised that the feelings he had been carrying like fear, pressure, and uncertainty, were not things he had to deal with alone. The examples shared during the session helped him understand that what was happening to him was abuse – and so he spoke up.

Joshua was then given help and support from both Catch22 and his school community to address those feelings and cut the strings of exploitation he had felt tightening around him.

Through working with children and young people to identify what abuse looks and feels like, we help to draw a line under child exploitation for good.

27/07/2026

Grosvenor's Insight Day for Care Experienced young people 💼

Last week, young people from our Care Leavers into Careers (CLIC) Westminster programme spent an inspiring day with Grosvenor, gaining exclusive insight into the wide range of careers available across the property, construction and hospitality sectors.

From learning about the property industry and major London developments, to hearing personal career journeys from professionals at Grosvenor, Skanska and The Chancery Rosewood, the day showcased the many pathways into these industries and the skills employers value most.

A particular highlight of the young people was a guided tour of Grosvenor's Mayfair portfolio, including a preview of the newly refurbished Grosvenor Square ahead of its official reopening. The group also explored exciting regeneration projects in the area and gained a behind-the-scenes look at how places and communities are shaped.

The day concluded with a speed networking session, giving young people the opportunity to connect with professionals from across the business, ask questions, build confidence and broaden their career aspirations.

A huge thank you to Grosvenor and everyone who took the time to share their expertise and experiences. Opportunities like these help young people see what's possible, expand their networks and take important steps towards their future careers.

25/07/2026

⭐"10 out of 10 for Catch22 wellbeing day – it's brought me out of my shell and given me excellent confidence."⭐

This week we held a wellbeing day for people we work with across our justice services in London. Our Personal Wellbeing, Dependency and Recovery, and Finance, Benefit and Debt teams pulled the event together, alongside a brilliant line-up of partner organisations.

In practice, this meant people on probation walking into a warm, informal space, talking to services that could actually help them, having a hot drink and lunch, picking up clothes and toiletries. Onwards & Upwards, XO Barbers were on hand giving out free haircuts to those who wanted a fresh trim.

It's a reminder of what in-person, community-based delivery makes possible. Conversations that might take weeks of back and forth happen in minutes, because everyone is in the same room. That came through in what attendees told us:

💬"I'm here today to get some help and support and guidance so that I can get better in myself and not reoffend… I feel there's so many people here that can help me."

💬"I didn't realise what to expect, but it was very helpful. Some good advice. The wellbeing team were very very helpful, something I really need."

💬"The first stall I visited was XO Bikes and barbering. I left my details with them, they're going to train me up and give me a new skill."

That's how we think delivery should be done: in communities, face to face, and in partnership with organisations doing brilliant work alongside us.

Thank you to Single Homeless Project, XO Barbers, XO Bikes, Reed in Partnership, Support When It Matters and The Clink Charity for making this day happen – this is what it looks like to in practice.

24/07/2026

Exploitation prevention work in schools is essential if we want to see fewer children being exploited and subjected to serious violence and trauma.

Our delivery in schools over the past year has allowed us to connect and engage with children and young people to help give them the tools to recognise what exploitation looks and feels like, and what they can do to get help if something isn’t right.

Over the past year, our West Merica STEPS service engaged with over 2,000 young people through this kind of delivery, raising general awareness among young people as well as hosting sessions for teachers, parents, and carers.

As STEPS’ Kate Annison and Sarah Melia highlight in the video, school environments provide a crucial safe space for children and young people to learn about and understand exploitation.

Delivery in schools is paramount to drawing a line between exploitation and violence, as the government’s Halving Knife Crime Plan is rightly emphasising through ensuring schools in high knife crime hotspots will be receiving targeted support.

Through reaching vulnerable children and young people in familiar, safe environments, we can reduce the incidences of exploitation and violence in our communities.

22/07/2026

Our Pan Merseyside Missing and Child Exploitation service joined Merseyside Police yesterday to launch a new campaign focused on tackling Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE).

The ‘Call it what it is’ campaign aims to raise awareness of abusers who are seeking to exploit children, calling for their actions to be seen and properly described as the abuse it is.

We took to New Brighton beach on Tuesday where Catch22 were part of the team alongside Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell sharing information and talking about the campaign to members of the public, informing them on how to spot the signs of grooming too.

Vikki McKenna, our Service Manager, spoke with local media at the event and appeared on BBC News North West yesterday evening, where she raised awareness on how more free time during the school holidays can make children more vulnerable to abusers.

Grooming and exploitation must not be minimised and disguised through language. By clearly labelling abusive behaviours and grooming, more CSE victims will be helped to recognise when they have been abused and feel empowered to seek support.

📽️ Watch the BBC News segment from 13:00 - https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002zbwq/north-west-tonight-evening-news-21072026?seriesId=unsliced