Friends of The Mount Prison reveal oak bench donated to Bovingdon village

Yesterday morning the Mayor of Dacorum Borough Council, his wife and other local dignitaries enjoyed a sit down in the sun on a newly installed bench donated by Friends of The Mount Prison to Bovingdon village

Friends of The Mount Prison encourages involvement between the prison and the local community of Bovingdon. Friends has recently been set up by volunteer Kim Hobbs, staff from the prison and RoughStuff. 

Governor Steve Bradford and patron of HMP The Mount Lord Charles Cecil revealed the new bench. They talked about the benefit of Friends of The Mount Prison to the inmates and local communities.

Friends of The Mount Prison actively gets involved with companies like RoughStuff, who work with the prison to make beautiful worthwhile products that locals can enjoy. 

RoughStuff works with the Mount Prison to design and manufacture oak food boards for the food service industry and park benches for local councils. The benches are handmade by inmates of HMP The Mount using English oak. The oak benches look just as fantastic in a local high street as they do in a country park. 

RoughStuff aims to get every council in the country to use its prison manufactured benches so everyone can benefit from and appreciate the positive rehabilitation work done in our prisons.

VIP’s who attended the bench reveal, followed by a cup of coffee in the local cafe were:

• Sally Marshall CEO Dacorum Borough Council
• The Mayor (Councillor Gbola Adeleke) and his wife of Dacorum Borough Council
• Julie Steer - Bovingdon Parish Councillor
• Lord Charles & Lady Virginia Cecil - Patrons
• Governor Steve Bradford - HMP The Mount