Mrs Gladwin continues to support them in this work and meets with the volunteers twice yearly at her home in Guildford. These meetings also provide a welcome opportunity for Mothers' Union members to swap experiences and learn from one another.

The experience of visiting High Down regularly has made some strong impressions on Audrey and Aileen. Foremost is an appreciation of how difficult it is for those with children to visit their loved ones in prison. Many have long journeys by public transport which, as we all know, can be difficult enough without the added complication of having to arrive early so that they do not risk missing any valuable visiting time.

No doubt for those travelling with small children it can feel like a very long day indeed. It is this realisation which has made providing a crèche a particularly important task for them.

The Mothers' Union folk were initially quite intimidated by the rigorous security procedures but have got used to them little by little. The procedures for gaining entry to the prison are, as one might imagine, particularly thorough… and slow! "First, we report to reception where all volunteers and visitors must leave their possessions and where we are given identity badges. Over in the prison building we are frisked and are required to put anything we are carrying, including the key to the crèche toy cupboard, through the security scanner," explains Audrey.

Then follows the elaborate process of getting through the "bubbles" which consist of a series of compartments segregated by electrically operated steel doors - the visitors can only pass to the next compartment once the previous door has shut behind them. This is the point where it is possible to develop a fear of power cuts!

The actual visiting room is large and contains around 50 visiting tables with a refreshment bar and, in one corner, the crèche play area. The play area is surrounded by a low picket fence which makes it easy for the youngsters to come and go and swap between being with their parents and playing with the toys.

There can be up to 16 children in the crèche on any afternoon, but the number is generally closer to 10. Most of the children are between 2 and 12 years of age and, of the toys on offer, their firm favourites are the jigsaws, building blocks and colouring books. The toy selection is quite limited and has been better in the past - it is hoped that the prison service may be able to supply some new things in the near future.

The crèche lasts for 2 hours each afternoon and the volunteers find that one of the big challenges is to gain the confidence of the children in this short time, in such unfamiliar surroundings. Nonetheless, there is usually a good atmosphere in the crèche and the volunteers never come away without having shared some good laughs with their young friends.

It is an encouragement when the crèche allows prisoners and their partners, who see so little of one another, to have some time apart from the little ones.

Aileen and Audrey are pleased to be involved with the work at High Down and firmly believe that it is an area where the Mothers' Union can help others and make a difference.

On a personal level, Audrey and Aileen find that they need to pray before going into the prison so that they can do their work in the best way. "On leaving we are never short of images of staff, inmates and children for whom we can continue to pray," says Aileen.

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