Hidden Heroes Day
The COVID pandemic made us as a society more conscious of and grateful for the work of our “hidden heroes” – those public servants whose work is often unappreciated and who continued to work as normal while the rest of us were isolated at home. Of course, we mainly thought about our nurses and doctors who were on the front line and trying to save lives from a new and aggressive disease.
However, as time went on, our thoughts turned to the legions of other public servants whose work we tended to take for granted. Eventually, with the help of the Butler Trust, we started to think of prison and probation staff as well as those working in youth justice and immigration removal centres. The work of these staff was invisible to most people – prison officers because their work was hidden from public view (unless you were in their care or a family member) and probation staff whose public profile hardly ever registered on the national consciousness with the occasional exception of a notorious serious further offence.
Friday 29 September
Friday 29 September is the fourth annual #HiddenHeroes Day in tribute to everyone working in UK prisons, IRCs, probation, escorts, and youth justice services.
While the idea of a special day to say thank you to criminal justice staff started in 2020, at the height of Covid, it feels as important as ever to show them they are appreciated and not forgotten.
#HiddenHeroes Day has generated some real enthusiasm in previous years.
There have been messages of support and thanks too from colleagues, families, and friends across the country, as well as from ordinary members of the public, while managers up and down the country showed their appreciation in a host of different ways – there were flags flown, speeches made, gifts given, awards presented, games played, food served
In 2021, the Governor of HMP Woodhill even unveiled a #HiddenHeroes garden dedicated to staff and The Princess Royal visited HMP/YOI Brinsford to mark the event and thank staff personally.
Many #HiddenHeroes themselves took the opportunity of the day to raise money for charities, in particular those dedicated to mental health, as a recognition of the stresses and trauma that criminal justice professionals experience as part of their working life.
One of my favourite features of the #HiddenHeroes celebrations is that the day has been taken up by people in every country of the United Kingdom with the Scottish and Northern Irish services keen to be involved.
You can find more information on the day, and how it has been celebrated around the country in previous years here.
Many people use the medium of X (née Twitter) to celebrate the day via @HiddenHeroesDay which is a great place both to share your support and to find out how the day has been celebrated in previous years.
You can see the most recent tweets below:
Finishing #HiddenHeroes & reflecting on Probation's work alongside @NIPrisons & @Y_J_Agency colleagues #BoardChair Max Murray & Asst. Dir. Aideen McLaughlin visited the #Lisburn team & the #Downpatrick team reflected on the work they do to #ChangeLives for #SaferCommunities.
As part of #HiddenHeroes, we produced podcasts talking to staff about their roles. Listen to Leona, a Probation Officer based in our Prison Team, as she talks about the issues, challenges & positives of working within a Prison
👂#Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6q5Y8rZBU7VaTeL1TCFxdA #ChangingLives
As #HiddenHeroes Day comes to a close, our Chief Executive Amanda Stewart reflects on her full day celebrating with our staff across different teams and offices. Probation work within the @Justice_NI system alongside @NIPrisons & @Y_J_Agency to #ChangeLives for #SaferCommunities
What a great day celebrating #hiddenheroes day #youthjustice We celebrated our successes and spent the day as a team taking part in fun activities. Proud to be a part of @NPTYouthJustice
Today is the 5th annual #HiddenHeroes Day – a chance to recognise colleagues working in UK prisons, IRCs, Probation & Youth Justice settings
Thank you all for the amazing, challenging & rewarding work you do, & for your commitment & resilience. YOU make the difference.
.@Justice_NI Minister Naomi Long was at Woodlands, JJC, yesterday to formally open a newly refurbished residential unit.
The Minister also took the opportunity to meet some of the staff and young people in the centre.
#safeandsecure
#traumainformed
#hiddenheroes
As part of #HiddenHeroes, we produced podcasts talking to staff about their roles.
Listen to Siobhan, a Victim Liaison Officer, as she talks about her work in #Probation assisting, supporting, and listening to #VictimsOfCrime
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6VvE3Hh9lApnlko6N2pEyR
#ChangingLives
