Heracles Foundation uses football to support prisoners’ return to society

The Heracles Foundation has completed another edition of Heracles Inside, a ten-week programme designed to help prisoners prepare for life and employment after their release. Fourteen people at PI Karelskamp in Almelo took part in activities focused on physical, mental and personal development.

Participants attended football training every Monday afternoon, led by project worker Noël Oude Bennink and the prison’s sports instructors. Each session was linked to values agreed with PI Karelskamp, including responsibility, teamwork, respect and discipline. Physical assessments conducted at the beginning and end of the programme showed clear improvement among almost all participants, according to the club.

The programme also included four practical workshops covering CV writing, job interviews and identifying personal strengths through a talent assessment. Recruitment company Uitzendbureau Twente joined the project and will use those assessments to consider whether participants could fit businesses within its network. Across the programme, the group completed nine exercise activities and recorded 126 contact moments.

A traditional match against a Heracles Almelo Businessclub side provided the sporting finale. The game ended 3-3 before the Heracles Inside team won on penalties. Foundation project coordinator Wout Gehring said the combination of sport, personal guidance and employment-focused workshops had given participants practical tools for a fresh start. Heracles Inside forms part of the foundation’s Talent pillar.