About Us
Origins
The Butler Trust was set up as a registered charity in 1985 in memory of ‘RAB’ Butler (Lord Butler of Saffron Walden), a reforming Home Secretary, to promote and encourage positive regimes in UK prisons.
An independent Annual Award Scheme was established to recognise exceptionally dedicated, and often creative, work undertaken by prison staff and volunteers.
Milestones in the Trust’s history
In 2005 the Award Scheme was extended to probation staff in England and Wales working with offenders in the community.
In 2006 criminal justice social work staff in Scotland and probation staff in Northern Ireland were invited to participate.
“The National Probation Service (NPS) has been central to the achievement of reducing re-offending in the community. As the landscape for both probation and prisons changes, the new ways of working that they have adopted have been recognised by the Trust, resulting in a closer relationship between the Trust and the National Offender Management Service."
Mikael Springer, Probation Project Manager at The Butler Trust
Click here for further information on the extension of the Award Scheme
Recognising ‘ordinary work extraordinarily well done’
The Trust identifies and celebrates the achievements of people who work in the UK Correctional Services who have shown exceptional skill or initiative in their work with offenders.
They include not only members of the Prison, Probation and Criminal Justice Social Work (CJSW) Services, but doctors, teachers, librarians, volunteers and others.
Their work, which is so often unrecognised, maintains the morale of offenders, helps them to use their time to good effect by learning or acquiring skills, and prepares them to re-establish themselves on release or at the end of their community sentence.
The Trust recognises these outstanding efforts through a number of major awards which enable winners to develop and disseminate their work. It also gives several Certificate Awards each year.
180 major awards and 510 certificates have been given and the Trust has provided over £175,000 funding for the development of award-winning projects. Click here to find out how you can get involved in helping the Trust to continue this support.
Royal Patron
HRH The Princess Royal has been the Trust's Royal Patron since 1985. Her interest in and contribution to the Trust have been immense.
She undertakes about ten visits on the Trust's behalf each year and in every year since the Trust's formation she has personally presented the awards at impressive annual events.
These presentations have been made at ceremonies in prestigious surroundings such as Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace, the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Lambeth Palace, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and once in Cardiff at the National Museum and Gallery of Wales.
Award Winners
Award winners are nominated from:
- Every Prison Service and private prison establishment
- Headquarters groups
- Court escort/custody bases throughout the UK
- The National Offender Management Service
- The National Probation Service for England and Wales
- CJSW Division in Scotland
- Probation Board of Northern Ireland
Beyond the glitz of the award ceremony
Attending The Butler Trust Award Ceremony is undoubtedly a momentous occasion for award winners but the Trust’s involvement with major award winners does not end there.
The Trust's Development Programme section provides award winners with opportunities to develop their work and disseminate best practice. Above all, it facilitates the exchange of information and provides professional and personal development opportunities.