New focus for offenders with help from photographer Asha

The 32-year-old, from Otley, scooped the Special Award for Encouraging Employment at the Koestler Awards for her Me, Myself & I project, which was funded by the Arts Council.

She invited seven young people, who were deemed at high risk of re-offending, to take part in the digital art scheme as part of their rehabilitation.

Artistic banners featuring the youngsters’ creative self-portraits will now go on outdoor display at Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s Learning Centre, in Bretton, near Wakefield, from October.

Asha, who was brought up in New Zealand, said: “I developed the project to give the young offenders the opportunity to create pieces of work personal to them and to communicate their hopes and dreams. It is fantastic to have national recognition for their work. The project focused on the most prolific offenders who were in direct danger of going to prison, it was their last chance to find a focus. When you get them to a place like YSP, it’s enclosed and they feel safe. Suddenly they become kids again.”

The Koestler Awards are run by the Koestler Trust, a charity which encourages artistic achievement by offenders.