St Albans drug and mental health worker wins national award

Ex-offender Tony Franklin has spent the last 14 years helping people to improve their lives the way he did, working with Herts Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (HACRO), a charity which provides ex-offenders with family and employment support,

His efforts were recognised at the Skills for Justice – Inspire Justice Awards, where he was named Rehabilitation Worker of the Year.

Accepting the award at a ceremony in London, Tony said: “I've been doing this work for the last 14 years, so I get my reward in seeing the journey of the participants, but this to me is the cherry on top of the cake.”

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HACRO's Matt Cannon - who nominated Tony for the award - said: “Tony’s lived experience means that he has huge credibility with HACRO participants who are keen to follow his example.

“He relates to participants in a way that energises their personal resources and makes them want to change their lives.”

Since joining HACRO in 2010, Tony has spearheaded a number of key developments for the charity including reducing reoffending project TurnAround.