Breaking the Revolving Door: The Story of New Vision Community Chaplaincy

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Every vital community project begins with a simple, unsettling question. For New Vision Community Chaplaincy, that question was born inside the walls of two Merseyside prisons:

“Why is there no community chaplaincy supporting prison leavers in our region?”

Witnessing first-hand the high levels of reoffending and the devastating “revolving door” faced by men leaving custody, two chaplains working independently found themselves reaching the exact same conclusion: more could—and should—be done for people once the prison gates close behind them.

The Spark (May 2024)

The journey began in May 2024, when Brian Greenhalgh (Managing Chaplain at HMP Altcourse) hosted an in-prison event that highlighted a glaring gap in regional resettlement provision. Shortly afterwards, Brian met Ken McCabe (Roman Catholic Lay Chaplain at HMP Liverpool).

What followed was a series of meetings defined by discussion, prayer, reflection, and radical dreaming. As a clear vision took shape, four others already connected to the prison chaplaincies stepped up to commit to the journey: Andrew Thorne, Jon Storkey, Mohammed Rahman, and Talha Ahmed.

Laying the Foundations (Spring 2025)

By March 2025, the project—originally operating as Merseyside Community Chaplaincy—was formally registered as a Community Interest Company (CIC). Backed by an affiliation with the Community Chaplaincy Association and a generous £10,000 start-up grant, the founders discerned it was time for a name that truly captured their ambition: New Vision Community Chaplaincy.

In May 2025, over 100 probation staff, faith leaders, charity workers, and local councillors gathered at HMP Altcourse for New Vision’s official multi-faith launch. The room was anchored by keynote contributions from across the national justice landscape:

  • The Rt Rev Richard Moth (Catholic Bishop for Prisons)
  • The Venerable James Ridge (Chaplain General and Head of Faith Services, HMPPS)
  • Mohammed Tayyab Sidat (CEO of IMO Blackburn)
  • Imam Talha Ahmed (Managing Chaplain at HMP Liverpool & Chair of the Muslim Chaplains Association)
  • The Rev Simon Tarlton (CEO of the Community Chaplaincy Association)

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

With post-launch interest surging, the summer of 2025 became a masterclass in collaboration. Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, the team leaned on those who had walked the path before them:

  • Expert Guidance: John Powell (Operations Manager at Futures Unlocked) shared vital operational insights at a Wirral Waters faith gathering, while Roger Vann (New Foundations Community Chaplaincy) became a steady source of mentorship.
  • Stakeholder Mapping: Crucial bridge-building meetings were held with the St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP), We Are Nugent, the North Liverpool Probation Service, local Primary Care Networks, and Together Liverpool.
  • Taking it to the streets: In July, Hope Church in Aintree hosted New Vision’s first Volunteer Breakfast. A month later, Brian abseiled down the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, raising over £1,000 for the cause.

Simultaneously, the team began looking toward the next generation. Alongside Lee Blower (Tattoos and Tears) and Paul Brown (Hope Foundation Anfield), Brian and Ken delivered deeply moving assemblies to students at Archbishop Beck Catholic College—a visit so impactful the school offered to host the upcoming New Vision Conference in June 2026.

Weaving into the Fabric of the City

As the autumn rolled in, New Vision’s application to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) was officially in the hands of the regulators, but the ground-level work didn’t pause.

In October, Brian and Ken presented the project at the Liverpool Prisons Week Lecture at the Anglican Cathedral. In November, alongside trustee Talha Ahmed, they stood at the 40th Anniversary launch of the Faith in the City project. The event’s newly launched Vision for the City manifesto called for meaningful, systemic regional change—a mandate that mirrored New Vision’s core DNA.

By the turn of the year, the ecosystem was fully alive. Space generously provided by The Hope Foundation in Anfield opened doors to wider grassroots faith groups; Reverend Canon Dr Crispin Pailing facilitated new ties via Liverpool Hope University; and New Vision issued an open invitation to city-wide faith leaders to meet inside HMP Altcourse to build a truly unified inter-faith network.

The Milestone: February 23rd, 2026

After twenty-one months of listening, convening, fundraising, and praying, the news arrived: New Vision Community Chaplaincy officially achieved registered charitable status. The revolving door of the justice system is heavy, and it cannot be stopped from the inside alone. But as New Vision steps into its next chapter as a fully realized charity, Merseyside finally has a dedicated, multi-faith pair of hands on the outside, ready to help catch those walking through it.

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