The Change Is Possible project is a vital lifeline to help those suffering trauma, addiction and abuse.

Michael Maisey created the Change is Possible Project after turning his life around following being sent to prison as an angry young man of only 16 years old.

His story is inspirational and is detailed in a TED talk he gave last year  Uncaged: From Prison to Purpose.

To maintain our services, we need ongoing support.

The Project has 2 major aims:

Project Aim 1 - supporting survivors of abuse and neglect

We work in the community with people who are struggling by delivering free access to transformational and life changing support, including workshops and online groups. The majority of people who access the workshops and support groups have come from a background of childhood trauma. Abuse, addiction, poverty and neglect, often resulting in suicidality, self-harm, and perpetuating a cycle of addiction for many whose formative experiences have been brutal and unkind.

Many of the people who access our services have been in prison and can find it difficult to assimilate into mainstream society again. We provide them with a stepping stone and help lower the risk of them reoffending by introducing them to a community of peers who have similar backgrounds and experiences.

All of the facilitators of the workshops have accessed the support when they needed it, and are now in a position to feed that back into the community. Bringing people together and creating that space for reflection and improvement has changed the direction of thousands of people's lives.

Project Aim 2 - work in prisons to help lower reoffending and offer support for change

We go into prisons and work with offenders to break the cycle of reoffending.

The work done in prisons reaches out to those that have found themselves incarcerated due to their poor choices. It is not a coincidence that large numbers of the prison population have experienced childhood trauma; abuse, addiction, poverty and neglect. We work with them, show them the possibilities and support them to make better choices in the future. We provide ongoing support whilst they are in prison, then follow-up with assistance and access to a community of peers when they leave to reduce loneliness and isolation, improve mental health and coping mechanisms, and give access to resources and sources of support to help reduce the rate of reoffending.

Prison statistics show that 75% of people will reoffend within a decade of being released. Our prisons are full of people who have been failed by society. Michael recognised that taking people from a place of suffering to then make them suffer more does not work, and he set out to do something different.

Families saved, lives and communities brought together.

Abigail*, whose husband attended workshops when he was struggling with addiction and poor mental health told us. Since my husband attended the CIP project I have seen an incredible change in him. He is now able to open and discuss the way he is feeling. He is much more present physically, mentally and emotionally and has now been sober for nearly three months! This has had a very positive impact on our marriage and his relationship with his children'.

The money raised will ensure the work that the Project does can continue by covering core costs plus day-to-day expenses for running the essential support services and delivery of its work.

This includes:

• Transformational and life changing workshops

• Outreach into prisons nationwide

• Local and online support groups

• Motivational speakers in schools and colleges across the UK

Over the last 14 years the CIP Project has worked tirelessly to make change. 

As one of the many people supported, Martin* feels he owes the Project more than he could ever repay.

I was abused throughout my childhood which left me with drug and alcohol addiction from a young age. I struggled my way through life feeling worthless and insecure. At the age of 45 I found the CIP Project and they have shown me that things can change for me. After just 2 workshops I am now drink and drug free and slowly rebuilding my life. I can honestly and wholeheartedly say that Michael and the CIP project have saved my life.

Michael reflected that kindness is the way to create a better world. He was asked what he would say to his younger self, if he could go back in time. To see what he said, click here.

In years to come we will reflect on how we treat the most traumatised and underprivileged members of our society and we will be completely ashamed of ourselves.

*names changed