This month marks a huge milestone for Lincolnshire Action Trust’s Chief Executive Alison Goddard who is celebrating 20 years’ service with the charity which supports vulnerable individuals in the criminal justice system.

Alison, who joined Lincolnshire Action Trust (LAT) in April 2001 just as the charity had been awarded its first small funding contract, was attracted to the organisation after long being interested in social inequalities and their impact on individuals.

Speaking about some of her highlights over the last two decades, Alison said: “There have been so many over the years, but the significant development of our support services for families of prisoners is an area I am really proud of for many reasons, mainly because families and children particularly are often the ‘hidden victims’ of crime and this can be something that can negatively impact on many areas of their lives.

“More recently, receiving a grant from the Ministry of Justice in recognition of the services we have developed for women in Lincolnshire is another notable achievement.”

Over 20,000 people now access the support services provided by Lincolnshire Action Trust each year.

In the last 20 years, as well as developing its services and operations, the charity has grown a 60-strong team of staff and built up a robust reputation as an organisation which provides quality services and continuous support to those in the criminal justice system at every stage from the point of arrest, through to court, prison and then post-release.

Alison added: “As with any organisation, there have been difficulties over the years, not least the challenges that have been presented over the last 12 months owing to the pandemic.

“Thankfully as an organisation we were able to swiftly move all our community services to a remote model of delivery, meaning there was no break in the support we provide for our clients. Given this was a time of huge concern for many people and other services were shutting down around us, I’m really proud that we were able to respond to the changing demands so quickly.

“For many clients, both in custody and in the community, the pandemic has increased their needs and has resulted in support being more difficult to access. Subsequently we have seen a greater demand for many of our services as well as clients needing increased levels of support.

“Looking ahead to the future, we are currently in the process of implementing a new five-year strategy and we have plans to ensure we continue to grow and develop as a provider of quality interventions that respond to the needs of individuals in the criminal justice system.”

To find out more about Lincolnshire Action Trust, visit the website.