A NORTH-East charity which works with prisoners and their families has swept the board in a national awards ceremony.

Nepacs’ family days initiative won four prizes, including the top one, in the Nursery Rhyme Challenge, organised by Bookstart and Kids VIP (Visiting In Prisons).

Family days allow parents serving jail terms to play with their children when they visit them in prison.

Nepacs has built up the scheme over the last decade and it is now running at all North-East prisons.

The Nursery Rhyme Challenge, which ran over the summer, challenged organisations to involve such families in learning nursery rhymes.

The overall winner was a scheme at Low Newton women’s prison and young offenders’ institution, near Durham City, where families created a nursery rhyme cookbook.

Frankland, Durham and Northumberland jails won the awards for prison categories A, B and C respectively.

Christine Slassor(CORR), Nepacs regional manager for play areas, said: “We are absolutely delighted by these awards.

“Staff and volunteers have worked so hard to make these special sessions memorable, creative and above all lots of fun.”

One participant said: “The family visits are brilliant and really help us to stay together as a family during a difficult time.”

The awards were presented in Durham on Monday (October 22).