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In May 2008, the team who work in The Sanctuary at Foston Hall won the Catholic Concern for Animals Wildlife Award 2008. The Award recognises UK prisons that work with and protect wildlife.

The Sanctuary began about seven years ago and over the years more and more animals have been introduced.

Simon Kinson, is the Horticultural Instructor at the women's prison and leads the Sanctuary team. He explains that the benefits of using animals for therapy are second to none.

In some cases, some of the prisoners may be finding it difficult to interact with humans. Introducing animals can allow them to develop responsiveness to both the animals and then to those people around them.

Without the animals, people can shut down after being admitted to prison. The animals break down these barriers.

Simon believes the Sanctuary provides an area for people to talk about bereavements and sensitive issues in a relaxed and comforting setting.

What next for the Sanctuary? Development of the Dog Grooming Salon, which would allow prisoners to improve their skills. More aviaries and they are hoping for a summer house addition.

Simon tells us: "The award听reflects how hard the girls work and recognises those who work all hours to ensure the animals are cared for."

Tina's story

Tina is in charge of the majority of furry animals like the rabbits. Her reputation proceeds her as I am told of her extreme cleaning capabilities. Apparently even the rabbits end up sparkling!

Tina ended up working in the Sanctuary by accident. She was digging up the Lavender听 nearby and just found herself helping out.

At first, she wasn't too confident about being near the animals and didn't really want to touch them. Now she can pick up everything and anything.

She appreciates the environment that the Sanctuary provides. Working unsupervised without constant questioning and makes her appreciate the work even more.

Claire's story

Claire loves working with the Parrots and compares it to working with a class full of nursery children as they like to run riot sometimes.

Apparently some people can be scared of the parrots when they visit. But Claire has taken them on with gusto.

Claire, like Tina, feels like the Sanctuary sometimes allows her to forget she is in jail. She has responsibilities in the Sanctuary and the parrots are well cared for because of her.

Bernie's story

Compared to her other Sanctuary pals, Bernie has been in Foston for the longest. Other people come and go but Bernie has seen a lot of the changes in the Sanctuary and has become an increasingly important member of the team.

Like the other girls, Bernie sees the Sanctuary as a special place. It is Prison, no doubt about it, but it is a commitment and never-ending devotion.

Bernie mostly looks after the P.A.T. (Pets as therapy) dog Alfie and believes he is a great asset to the wildlife area.

When the other girls come over to the Sanctuary, they always have lots of questions. Some of them have never seen some animals before so Bernie and her team are well-equipped to show them round. The chinchillas go down a storm!

Bernie is very proud of her team. They take care of their environment and make it a pleasure for people to visit. They feel trusted and responsible and that is an unusual feeling in prison.

Bernie feels that Prison can stop you thinking about things for yourself to a certain degree, but the Sanctuary gives you that responsibility back.

If you have been in any of the old Victorian jails, there are strict regimes and you do what you are told. Bernie says that instead of finding reasons for why you cannot do something, Foston's supportive staff find reasons why you should.

Bernie has now become a City & Guilds representative in prison which is a positive move for her and as prison goes, she believes, it makes it a healthy place to be. It does what prison is meant to do, it facilitates change.

When people come into prison, the easy thing to do is to doss away the time. Bernie hopes she will be a better, more qualified person and be able to contribute to society in a constructive way.

Before her release, Bernie will continue to contribute to the Sanctuary's ethos that made them award winners. The girls inside Foston need her, the team and the animals to get them through what can be a devastating time.

Bernie explains: "Some of the girls don't cope as well as we do and when they leave they tell us that they survived because of the Sanctuary.

"How can we feel prouder than that, that we helped them live?

"That's massive!"