Introduction Take 2

It is much easier to run a course when the participants have few other pulls on their time and no means of escape.

Our original two group members both now have jobs or occupations that mean their afternoons are no longer free. It's great that they're working. A job is hard to find under good circumstances, it's harder still if you have a criminal record, so I'm very pleased for them but it does leave our Restoration course without an essential ingredient - available participants.

Time for option two.

When Ashley first mentioned our plans at the support group for recovering addicts which he attends and he said the first course was just open to men, there was a bit of dissatisfaction from the women. They could see the benefit in what we were offering but we thought a mixed sex group would add an unnecessary layer of complication to the proceedings. Now, as the men came, said how interested they were, then couldn't fulfil their commitment, it's the turn of the ladies.

As I went along to the support group to talk about Restoration, it struck me that perhaps the women will be the key to change in the community. Who is the backbone? Who communicates most? Who has contact with children and the different layers of society? We talk about the ripple effect of crime. Let's hope that the women who come to learn about restoration will be at the start of a ripple effect of healing and change.