My Life is a pioneering initiative that delivers mental health and wellbeing programmes within the UK prison system.
Founded on the belief that lived experience is essential to meaningful change, My Life’s projects are shaped and delivered by individuals who have themselves served time. Their approach provides a safe and supportive platform for people in prison to explore mental health challenges, build emotional resilience, and take steps towards more constructive and fulfilling futures.
My Life’s training – such as its flagship Brain Smart® course – equips participants with essential tools for navigating the complex mental and emotional realities of prison life. What began as a small pilot initiative has grown into a national network, with more than 500 Mental Health Ambassadors now supporting peers across an ever-growing number of UK establishments. This growth has been possible with the funding support of Jamma Wellbeing.
Following a successful and sustained partnership with HMP Hollesley Bay, the prison’s Senior Management Team invited My Life to establish a dedicated on-site base from which to deliver their services. Previously operating from a less accessible location, the team required a more permanent and professional environment to support both the delivery and expansion of their programme.
Key project requirements included:
• A self-contained, accessible office facility within the prison grounds
• A welcoming, supportive space aligned with the charity’s ethos
• Flexibility to host structured training sessions, informal drop-ins, and day-to-day operations
• A solution that could be easily replicated across other sites in future
After reviewing several options, My Life approached Portable Space for a tailored cabin solution.
Portable Space supplied a 32ft steel office for hire, fully refurbished and professionally repainted in a bespoke light blue finish to reflect My Life’s calming and inclusive identity. The process – from the initial enquiry through to site visits and final delivery – was handled with care and attention by Hire Controller Rachel, whose consultative approach was key in ensuring the final outcome met the charity’s operational and aesthetic needs.
“From the very first phone call to enquire about the products, through to the three site visits, the professionalism of the organisation, and particularly Rachel, shone through.” — Richard Stewart, CEO of My Life
The cabin was installed on a prepared concrete base, with full electrical connections and site landscaping carried out in collaboration with the prison. Impressively, prisoners themselves contributed to the finishing touches by building fencing, picnic benches and planting around the unit to create a peaceful and functional exterior space.
The introduction of a permanent, purpose-built office has significantly enhanced My Life’s presence at HMP Hollesley Bay. In addition to providing a centralised base for the Brain Smart® programme, the new space has enabled:
• Improved accessibility for both staff and participants
• Employment opportunities through the appointment of three prison Orderlies to support day-to-day operations
• Service expansion, including regular drop-in sessions and new forms of peer engagement
• Greater visibility and credibility for the programme among prison leadership and external funders
“The cabin has created a professional, welcoming space that reflects the quality of our work. It also enables us to ‘prove concept’ – demonstrating to partners and funders that we have the infrastructure to scale this model across our network of 30+ prisons.”
With a scalable model now successfully established, My Life is looking to extend this approach to additional prisons across the UK. The organisation plans to partner with Portable Space again to replicate this cabin model in other establishments – helping ensure as many establishments as possible have a dedicated, supportive environment in which participants can learn, reflect, and grow.
“We looked at several different options for portable office space and once we had contacted Rachel, we quickly settled on using Portable Space. Rachel understood our needs and conveyed that understanding in a professional and friendly manner. Nothing was too much trouble, and we wouldn’t hesitate to work with Portable Space again.”
Portable Space is proud to support My Life in delivering such vital, life-changing work. By providing a thoughtfully designed space at HMP Hollesley Bay, we’ve contributed to a broader mission – creating environments where conversations can flourish, skills can be developed, and lives can be transformed.
Creating space for change – it’s what we do.
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