COMMENDEE 2024-25

Initial Recommendation

This nomination followed an initial recommendation from Jackie Quirke, Head of Reducing Reoffending

Andy is one of life’s treasures.  He has been temporary Industries Manager and in the last 11 months he has been simply outstanding and proven to be a fantastic asset to our establishment and the prison service. Everything Andy does is aimed at creating hope and giving the best chance at progressing for the future for our prisoners.

Examples include:

He introduced a new workshop which constructs timber sheds with a local firm and in turn this will lead to employment outcomes on release.  Working with the Employment Advisory board we have now established a second workshop with employment options with a national garden furniture business.

He has created birdboxes and other bespoke items with our own logo, encouraging the men to be creative and design using specs for the national wildlife and produced pallet and other furniture to enhance our environment.

He introduced and set up electrical and car maintenance in Workshop 1., packing workgroups on our Elderly/ Vulnerable unit and a jewellery outlet activity in Workshop 6.

He has embraced ‘Green space volunteering days’ in prisons, working with sustainability Project Lead, providing a fabulous opportunity for volunteers to work at our establishment, enhancing the site for wildlife.

He has introduced recycling for oil and mattresses, so we are environmentally friendlier. Extending now to securing a bailer that will help us recycle paper/ cardboard and working on a new recycling Workshop.

He has created an outdoor area for staff and prisoners to grow, learn and feel safe.  He was successful in securing polytunnels and greenhouses so we could start building this area, encouraging wellbeing and a community ethos.

He co-facilitates magistrate visits monthly and supports all resettlement events.

There are many other examples I could give to highlight the fantastic input and work ethic Andy has and undertakes daily.  He supports the Reducing Reoffending team and the wider prison.  He is passionate about our prisoners and the work and constantly drives forward purposeful activity.

He has transformed a shabby astro-turf in HMP Birmingham and turned it into a gardeners delight in less than nine months. We have been awarded the runner-up in the Windlesham trophy – this is a fantastic achievement for an inner-city category B prison that has no greenery, everyone is amazed at what has been achieved and how beautiful the area is. We have poly tunnels, green houses, pond, community area, potting sheds, prisoner and staff artwork around the fencing, it is a haven that no words can describe what impact it has had on both the men that work there or the men that use the area. We produce products for the royal horticulture society and are part of the Birmingham open space scheme supplying plants to community areas. Andy is the ‘go to man’, there is nothing he would not undertake, a lot of which is also undertaken in his own time. I have truly valued the work he has completed to date, but I absolutely value the person more for his kindness, decency, and drive to make Birmingham a better place for all.

This recognition does not even begin to highlight Andys worth. He is a humble individual who simply calls being outstanding ‘doing his job’.  Andy does not realise what a gem he is and how lucky we are to have him in the West Midlands and at Birmingham.

Supporting Documentation

Testimonials

Andrew has a zest for life and for striving to deliver the very best he can for HMP Birmingham and those in our establishment.  He embodies everything wonderful about the people that work for our service. He is loyal, committed, kind, driven and passionate about making a real difference for all.  He is very proud to be in the service and is very humble about the impact he has on all around us.

Officer S:  “He has been my colleague for many years and he is a top bloke, always makes me smile, slightly bonkers”

Prisoner A “Mr Bradley is a task master who makes us feel we are on the same team”

Prisoner B “ There is nothing Mr Bradley wouldn’t do, he is honest, kind and will always have a banter with us.”

Prisoner C ” Mr B is a legend”

Prisoner D “I can’t believe what has been created on the lnd based activity area, at the last forum for 40 mins I forgot where i was”

Prisoner E ” Forget Bob the builder – we’ve got Bradley the man ”

DIY Sheds – Jay “The quality of the work produced is outstanding, we would not hesitate to employ prisoners on release, the skills and work is phenomenal”

Jackie Quirke “I feel honoured to have Andy in my team, in my 30 years of working for the service, I haven’t met anyone so committed to improving every aspect of prison life, his drive, passion and dogged determination to make the lives of those in HMP Birmingham a positive experience is simply inspiring.”

Chris George – Specialist HQs – “What you’ve all done is exceptional, we’ve never seen anyone travel the distance you have in such a short period of time.”

Sign Off

Andy is a temporary Industries Manager who has taken his brief to the next level. He has secured and developed a number of new workshops and activities for prisoners. He has not only increased opportunities for prisoners but he has ensured these are enjoyable, meaningful work areas that give the best opportunity to lead to work on release. The shed making shop where bird boxes and bespoke items are produced is a hive of industrious prisoners. Land based activities introduced as a new initiative is supporting our ambition to provide green spaces inside the prison. This has been transformative, with pockets of green, planters, benches etc. popping up across the prison for the benefit of all. The former unused astroturf is now a setting for gardens and horticulture described by the Windlesham judging panel as the biggest progress that they have ever seen by a prison in a short period. This has been overseen and supported by Andy. He has had to engage his team into new ways of working and flexibility in their roles which is not an easy task with an established prison industries team. I have read through this nomination and fully confirm and support it. Andy is an inspiration and a key member of the team.

Jackie Hoffman

Governor, HMP Birmingham