Programme period
2025–2028
Delivery
44 weeks each year
Locations
3 prison sites
Weekly activity
9 reading groups
Planned annual delivery
Consistent groups across three locations
396
face-to-face sessions per year, minimum
8–12
participants aimed for in each session
1 hour
minimum length for each session
Magilligan
3 groups each week
Maghaberry
3 groups each week
Hydebank Wood College & Women’s Prison
3 groups each week
A shared-reading session
Easy to join, with space for every voice
01
Hear the story
The facilitator reads the selected story aloud, so nobody has to read in front of the group.
02
Pause and reflect
Ideas and themes become starting points for thought, curiosity and conversation.
03
Share if you wish
Participants may offer thoughts, feelings and experiences, while listening is equally welcome.
04
Return with ease
Standalone stories allow people to drop in, rejoin and take something meaningful from each session.
The stories
Accessible, representative and responsive
Stories are selected for accessible themes, form and language across different literacy and educational backgrounds.
The reading arc reflects a range of cultural, ethnic, economic, demographic and gender backgrounds, while leaving room to respond to group interests and significant events.
5
themed curriculum blocks
44
annotated stories each year
Flexible by design
A complete story in every session supports continuity for both regular and returning participants.
Programme aims
Supporting wellbeing through shared experience
Social and emotional wellbeing
Provide safe, coordinated and meaningful weekly activity that supports connection and reflection.
Space away from worry
Help reduce experiences of stress, anxiety, worry and rumination that can negatively affect mental health.
Reading for pleasure
Extend opportunities to enjoy stories, encounter new perspectives and take part at a comfortable level.
Learning from the programme
Gather qualitative and quantitative feedback to understand the programme’s effectiveness and impact.
Funding
Funded by the Public Health Agency
Shared Reading in Prisons is a three-year programme running from January 2025 to January 2028, supporting a wider healthy-prisons approach to wellbeing, learning and meaningful activity.