The Prison Phoenix Trust has been voted Favourite Yoga Charity at the largest yoga event in Europe.
At the OM Yoga Show at Alexandra Palace on Saturday, OM Yoga Magazine editor Martin Clark presented the prize to a delighted Selina Sasse, director of The PPT.
“We’re absolutely thrilled,” said Selina. “It’s a real tribute to the hard work and skill of yoga teachers working in prisons. We are enormously grateful to everyone who voted for us and excited about how this will help us to raise the profile of our charity at quite a tough time in prisons.”
The PPT was up against 10 other charities competing for this prestigious prize in its first year. Decided by public vote, the award is in recognition for the 35 years of work by this small, Oxford-based charity that supports rehabilitation through meditation and yoga in prisons, young offenders institutions and secure hospitals across the UK and Ireland.
Also at the show, former prisoner Paul succeeded in performing a 30-minute headstand – an amazing feat, which was sponsored to raise money for the charity.
Paul said: “The Prison Phoenix Trust got me through some very dark times. Yoga and meditation are still supporting me to this day and I wanted to give something back.”
Read about Paul’s Yoga 30 Challenge here
Since its inception in 1988, The PPT has become the leading yoga and meditation charity for prisoners and prison staff. It has helped thousands of people from diverse and marginalised communities, with compassion and without judgement.
Selina said: “Lots of people who practice or teach yoga know from their own experiences how it helps them cope with life’s challenges. The practice of yoga and meditation allows what’s within each and every one of us to shine.
“We recognise people then find a sense of self worth and with that, often start to feel more connected to others – which in time goes on to help create safe communities.”
This is for the those in the yoga community who are hidden away, all those people who are practising day in, day out, with a book or a CD, getting out their mats in times of difficulty. There are 107,000 people in secure settings in the UK and Northern Ireland who we try to support, and none of those people were able to vote for us because of restrictive conditions. This is for all those people who trust and commit to yoga.”
Selina also thanked The Trust’s supporter and volunteers, prison staff and the thousands of people practising yoga behind bars for their commitment and trust in yoga.
