PRESS RELEASE

MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN LOUGHBOROUGH

ATTRACTS NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
RETIRED businessman and probation volunteer, Andy Cereseto, has been shortlisted
for the prestigious Butler Trust awards that recognise the contributions of voluntary
helpers and staff members working in the criminal justice sector.
The 2015 - 2016 national awards attracted 312 nominations that have been assessed
and reduced to a shortlist of 43 candidates. The award winners and successful
commendation holders will be announced in December and will attend a presentation
ceremony in London with HRH The Princess Royal, who is patron of the charity.
Andy Cereseto was nominated for his voluntary work with the Loughborough-based
charity, Minnies Friends that provides a service to vulnerable individuals with drug and
alcohol issues. The charity aims to offer compassion and support, in fact a place to
enable the vulnerable to feel empowered to move on to a better and healthier life.
Minnies Friends was founded in 2010 by Carol Phillips in memory of her daughter who
died in tragic circumstances. Her nickname was Minnie and her family wanted to create
a charity that would provide support and help for vulnerable people.
The volunteering programme is managed by the Derbyshire, Leicestershire,
Nottinghamshire and Rutland Community Rehabilitation Company (DLNR CRC), which
nominated Andy for a Butler Trust award.
The local charity has recently moved from its premises on Nottingham Road in
Loughborough to more appropriate accommodation at the towns URC Church,
Frederick Street. Education Secretary and local MP, The Rt Hon Nicky Morgan, has
agreed to become the charitys patron.
Andy Ceresetos Role
Andy Cereseto became involved with the charity in the summer of 2014 after Minnies
Friends had grown and developed, but didnt have the internal policies and working
structure to support its team of voluntary helpers and secure further funding.
I became a volunteer because I wanted to give something back to my local
community, said Andy Cereseto. I was able to take a strategic view of what needed to
be done at Minnies Friends to enable the charity to carry on. We have a strong body of
trustees and we now meet the vital compliance issues and the requirements of the
Charity Commissioners. We also provide comprehensive training and support for the
volunteers as they help the individual clients.

DLNR CRC manager Jan Pearce commented: We are delighted for Andy and wish him
every success. Minnie's Friends work with people with often complex issues, not just
drug and alcohol issues but sometimes with debt problems and homelessness.
The charity can provide advice and support to enable individuals to access specialist
substance misuse services and we also have in-house help. The charity offers hot food
during the morning and at lunch times, as well as food parcels and free second hand
clothes and bedding.

PRESS INTERVIEWS
For further information and picture requests please contact External Communications
Manager, Fiona Buchanan, on 07711 160685 or 0116 251 6008.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
As part of the national Transforming Rehabilitation Programme, the DLNR CRC and the
Staffordshire West Midlands Community Rehabilitation Company (SWM CRC) are
managed by the Reducing Reoffending Partnership (RRP) - a partnership between
Ingeus UK, St Giles Trust, and Crime Reduction Initiatives (CRI).
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Ingeus UK has experience of helping people to realise their potential through

work and training, with employment recognised as a key factor in preventing
reoffending.

St Giles Trust has expertise in developing programmes which put reformed exoffenders at the heart of the solution; training participants to use their skills and
first-hand experience.

CRI provides support and structured programmes that tackle the specific drivers
behind a persons offending. This includes supporting people to repair family
relationships, develop their social capital and find employment in order to build
their resilience to the pressures that can cause a return to offending.
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