Olive Tree

Olive Tree is a journey of restoration — exploring what it means to find healing, forgiveness and a fresh start.

Prison can be a place of profound regret. Damaged relationships, guilt, and a sense of being beyond repair can weigh heavily — yet it can also be a place of transformation, where people find the space to reflect, grow, and commit to a different future. Olive Tree encourages people in prison not simply to change their behaviour, but to renew their thinking — and to discover that restoration and hope are possible.

Delivered by Prison Fellowship within chaplaincy departments, Olive Tree is a six-session programme rooted in Christian faith. Each session takes participants a step further on a journey that begins with understanding what restoration means, and moves through repentance, forgiveness, peace and reconciliation — towards moving forward.

‘It has made me think about others and how the ripple effect works. I’ve started healing some broken relationships — and it is starting to bring peace to my life.’ — An Olive Tree participant

A journey for everyone

While Olive Tree is grounded in biblical principles — drawing on the Christian understanding of restoration as God’s work of bringing wholeness to what has been broken — participants of any faith or none are warmly welcome.

Participants work through a structured workbook, combining classroom sessions with private study. Those who complete the programme receive a certificate of achievement in Understanding the Restoration and Healing Process, awarded by Gateway Qualifications.

How it works

Olive Tree runs in partnership with prison chaplaincy teams. The programme involves six sessions of guided group learning, with around 2½ hours of classroom study and 1 hour of private study per session.

Get involved

Olive Tree is delivered by trained Prison Fellowship volunteers working alongside chaplaincy teams. If you'd like to be part of a programme that helps people in prison find restoration and hope, we'd love to hear from you.

Transformation begins in prayer. You can stand alongside the people on this journey by committing to pray for Olive Tree participants, volunteers and the chaplaincy teams they work with. Sign up to our monthly Prayer Diary to receive regular prayer points.

Your giving helps Prison Fellowship bring Olive Tree — and all its programmes — to more prisons across England and Wales. Every gift makes a difference to people who are ready to take steps towards change.

Prisons interested in introducing Olive Tree can get in touch with Stephen Hawkins, Prison Fellowship's Operations Manager at stephenhawkins@prisonfellowship.org.uk for more information.