Who We Are – The Oswin Project

The Oswin Project supports people with criminal records, helping them access employment and training. We provide volunteering opportunities, paid work experience, as well as CV and disclosure support. Our team benefits from a diverse array of talents, experiences and perspectives, including staff and volunteers with criminal records.

Gay Penn
Patron

Gay was born in Newcastle Upon Tyne and has lived near Morpeth for 47 years. Gay is married with 2 children, 2 step children and 8 grandchildren. In 1966 she joined the family business working in all departments then became a director of the company and finally was responsible for personnel and training. In 1978 she and her husband started a saddlery business in Morpeth taking early retirement 18 years later. For the past 10 years to date she has been a director/partner of an award-winning food hall, gift shop and cafe situated just outside Ingleton in North Yorkshire. She believes that everyone should have a second chance which is the very ethos of The Oswin Project.

Pam Walker MBE
Chairman

Pam worked in Juvenile Justice for 15 years, developing and providing alternatives to custody for young offenders. Latterly she worked in the voluntary sector with disadvantaged minorities, running and developing projects providing advocacy and access to services. She is a past member of the Northumbria Probation Board and of the Northumberland Safeguarding Advisory Board. She has BA’s from Leicester and Durham Universities and an MA from the University of Northumbria. She is an Associate Lay Minister in the Church of England.

Fiona Sample MBE
Founder & CEO

Fiona is our CEO. She has lived on a farm in Northumberland for most of her adult life. Before moving to the Northeast, she worked in Germany as a welfare officer for the Red Cross. On returning she became a teacher. As High Sheriff of Northumberland, Fiona realised a bridge of opportunity needed to be built between prison and outside to reduce re-offending, so she founded the Oswin Project. Fiona studied at Durham University and is ordained.