PRT Associate Sarah Beresford awarded OBE in New Year’s Honours
The Prison Reform Trust is delighted that Sarah Beresford has been awarded an OBE in the 2026 New Year Honours List for services to Children with Parents in the Criminal Justice System. Sarah has been an Associate of the Prison Reform Trust since 2016, leading work on mitigating the impact of parental imprisonment on children.
Since September 2021, Sarah has focused on developing, and implementing, the use of Child Impact Assessments to ensure children with a close family member in contact with the justice system are listened to, supported, and included in decision-making about that support. This work has gained traction nationally and is being used across sectors to support children and brings their voices to the fore.
Commenting on Sarah’s award, Pia Sinha, chief executive of the Prison Reform Trust, said:
“We are so proud of this recognition of Sarah’s work. Children are so often the forgotten victims of our justice system, and it is time we listen to what they have to say. Sarah’s Child Impact Assessment project means children are now influencing policy and practice in a meaningful and impactful way.”
Sarah added:
“I am hugely honoured to receive this OBE – a recognition that really belongs to the children and young people with a parent in prison who inspire my work every day. I am so proud to be an Associate of the Prison Reform Trust, whose support makes everything I do possible. I am also very grateful to the Churchill Fellowship, the Dulverton Trust, the Eleanor Rathbone Charitable Trust, and the Firebird foundation for funding my work on Child Impact Assessments. Collaboration is key to my work, and this award reflects the dedication of everyone committed to supporting children and young people who have a close family member in contact with the justice system.”
To find out more about the work on Child Impact Assessments, visit www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/project/women-the-criminal-justice-system/child-impact-assessment-project
Sarah can be contacted on sarah.beresford@prisonreformtrust.org.uk
