A Band of Brothers

abandofbrothers (ABOB) works with young men involved in the criminal justice system. We provide them with the support they need to make the transition to an adulthood free of crime, and filled with a sense of belonging, connection and purpose. The young men we meet have often experienced or witnessed domestic violence. They may have been abused or else kept someone else’s abuse a secret. They may have lived in care or experienced neglect. They may have grown up where drug and alcohol abuse is commonplace and where positive adult role models are in short supply. Our work transforms the lives of young men and their communities, whilst saving the state (and ultimately the taxpayer) £40,000 a year for each avoided incarceration. Instead, we create well-rounded men who contribute back to society with healthy aspirations and a renewed sense of wellbeing.

abandofbrothers supports young men in making a healthy transition to adult manhood and creates powerful mentoring networks that they can call upon in times of need.  The good news is that there are many adult men of conviction, courage and valuable experience that are willing and able to make such a constructive contribution, and whose hard earned wisdom has up to now lacked a context for its transmission. Central to all of our programmes are experiences that have come to be termed “rites of passage.” Through this context we harness the integral goodwill of local adult men by providing them with a powerful training that develops mentoring skills, emotional intelligence and enhances authenticity and confidence. This in turn empowers those adult men to provide rites of passage trainings and ongoing mentorship to young men in their community. Our approach therefore serves as a powerful catalyst for creating social capital. By reconciling generations of men, we empower each towards a mutual collaboration that serves both a common purpose and a positive vision for their own lives. Furthermore, we encourage and support young men to develop a healthy connection to their communities through engaging with the emotional literacy, confidence and respect that comes through healthy self-esteem and self-awareness.