Brave Charity Fundraisers Spend the Night at Haunted UK Prison

• Brave fundraisers will be spending the night at one of the UK's most haunted prisons in aid of a Gloucestershire youth charity.
• The charity, Young Gloucestershire, is raising funds to support their work with young people within the county who are vulnerable to criminal exploitation. 
• The sleepover will see fearless supporters settling down for the night in the wings of the former Victorian prison.
• Decommissioned in 2013, the prison is now predominantly used for events and is regularly hired as a backdrop for Film and TV productions. 

Young Gloucestershire is hosting its latest fundraising event within the secure walls of a former Victorian prison. The youth charity operates across the Gloucestershire region and works with over 4,900 young people, aged 11-25, each year. The aim of the charity is to ensure young people meet their potential, whether that's supporting mental health, developing skills with those furthest from the job market or providing mentoring interventions with young people who are considered at risk. 

The prison sleepover event is one of several fundraising initiatives that are open to supporters of the charity. Attendees on the night include local legal professionals, accountants, estate agents and financial advisors who are all facing their fears of the dark to support the work of Young Gloucestershire.

In addition to the dedicated fundraisers, Young Gloucestershire also has had an overnight commitment from special guests including Henry Robinson, the High Sheriff of Gloucestershire, The Right Honorable Jamie Tabor QC, and paranormal investigator Leanne Burnham-Richards.

HM Prison Gloucester was a Category B men's prison. It was originally opened in 1792, on the site of Gloucester Castle whose keep was being used as the city's prison. The prison was operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service and closed in 2013. The site of the prison has previously been earmarked for residential redevelopment, however, there are rumours of human remains being buried within the site and more recently there has been the discovery in the exercise yard of a large Norman castle wall which is of historical significance.

Thomas Jones, Head of Income Generation at Young Gloucestershire said: "The prison event is more than just a chance to scare ourselves silly in the dark. The fear we will face over an evening is nothing compared to the fears young people face when they are victims of criminal exploitation.

"Unfortunately, we see this every day of the week in our county. Whether it's young people drifting towards gang involvement, selling drugs, carrying knives and weapons, or acts of violence. Young people don't just turn to these extremes overnight. The underlying issues are complex and wide-ranging, but vulnerable people are often the victims.

"One key area of our work at Young Gloucestershire is providing interventions for young people at risk of exploitation. Our youth work and mentoring programmes help steer young people onto a different path.

"We're running this event because our work creates positive change, and the funds raised will continue supporting interventions."

If you'd like to take part in the event, which is happening on Friday 15th September, then please register your place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-night-of-redemption-sleepover-at-gloucester-prison-tickets-643733603537.

If you'd like to make a donation to support the work of Young Gloucestershire you can do so at: https://www.justgiving.com/Young-Gloucestershire.