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What we have done lately

* In 2009, the former Conservative leader, Iain Duncan Smith MP gave the annual AGM talk. You could have heard a pin drop as he called for widespread reform in prisons, criminal justice and ways of dealing with troublesome individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds in Society. Refreshments afterwards were sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Cooks.

PD James

* Baroness James gave the third Jonathan Charkham lecture in March 2009 in No. One Court at the Old Bailey. She held an audience of over a hundred enthralled with her talk on “Murder and Mayhem: the craft of the detective writer.”

* In Prisons Week in November, a debate on Mental Health and Prisons was held at a packed St. Mary-le-Bow Church in Cheapside. The speakers were Ruth Bond, Chair of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes and Alan Duncan, Shadow Prisons Minister were the speakers. Three anonymous donors sponsored refreshments afterwards.

* On October 20th, in partnership with Pimlico Opera, the Fund put on ‘Rigoletto’ at Cadogan Hall. A near sell-out, it raised some £20,000 for the two charities. Sponsership came from Lawrence Graham LLP, the Worshipful Companies of World Traders and of Marketors.

* We were also very pleased to be given a stall at the Bar Conference held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, on November 7th.

* In 2008: 2nd Jonathan Charkham lecture by Cherie Booth QC (you can download her talk by clicking here); Guildhall ‘Falstaff’ performance by Pimlico Opera; 1st Prisons Week debate at St. Mary-le-Bow with Juliet Lyon, Director of the Prison Reform Trust and Nigel Seed QC, chaired by Jon Snow.