Inside Voices Secures New Funding

SoundLincs is pleased to announce that we have secured funding from the Evan Cornish Grassroots Fund, administered through Lincolnshire Community Foundation, to continue and expand our work with female-only groups through our Inside Voices project.

Inside Voices is an innovative two-part, music-based programme that supports people in custody and those returning to the community to improve emotional wellbeing, rebuild confidence and develop the skills needed for successful reintegration. The project combines prison-based and community-based provision, recognising that ongoing support during the transition from custody back into the community can play a vital role in reducing isolation, supporting rehabilitation and lowering the risk of reoffending.

The programme has been shaped through consultation with prison staff, probation teams, offender management services and participants themselves, ensuring that activities respond directly to the needs and experiences of those taking part.

Following a highly successful pilot year, SoundLincs has received new funding to help sustain and strengthen the community-based element of the programme, supporting longer-term delivery of our existing Lincoln group, including a dedicated female-only space, while also establishing new community groups in Grantham and a female-only group in Scunthorpe.

Inside Voices aims to create meaningful and lasting improvements in emotional wellbeing, confidence, social connection and engagement with rehabilitation opportunities. By combining structured music-making within custodial settings with continuity of support in the community, the project addresses both immediate emotional needs and the longer-term challenges associated with reintegration.

Where appropriate, participants will also have opportunities to progress into volunteering roles within SoundLincs’ wider community music programme. This can support individuals to help establish new groups, gain valuable experience and develop pathways towards paid employment as community musicians, creating a sustainable route that connects wellbeing, skills development and future opportunities.