A window into LandWorks

“I helped Graham finish another picnic bench last week… but [recently] it’s been Mon’s shed really, just trying to get that up, which is good, I enjoy it, I’m just trying to make the most of it because I’ve only got a few RAR [Rehabilitation Activity Requirement] days left… I’m proud of everything I’ve managed to do at LandWorks… all the boxes that I made I was quite happy with, the first one I made we’ve got it in the living room at home… every one of the people who come around are like that’s really nice where did you get it, sort of, well I made it, no you didn’t, yeah I genuinely did… which is quite nice actually I mean, the disbelief puts quite a message across to me really, you know people are actually having to ask me if it really is [something I made]…

I don’t mind everything that is on PeN, whether it’s something I’ve said or I’ve photographed, I don’t mind it being used in any way, shape or form… sometimes I know, I can start on one conversation and then ten subjects down the line… there’s nothing that’s inconvenient for me, or uncomfortable for me with it, it’s all you know, I take some photos and we have a conversation about what I’ve been up to, and what I’m doing… at least I know that my excessive talking is going to good use… I agreed to give my input because, well a few reasons, one it’s nice to know you can be heard almost, in the sense of being like a trainee, I like the way we are called trainee’s here, and not criminals or whatever people would like to think of us as, especially when you are publicly sometimes seen as something like that, it’s quite, you know it’s nice, it’s nice to have a voice… I’ve done my part… it’s been spoken about you know, whether it’s a memory box or a garden shed for Mon, it’s something I’ve taken part in…

I like it [the PeN project], I think it’s a good idea… for one it shows the public what happens here and the things that are done, and you know it sort of, as well as putting across the message that you guys do a great job of what you’re doing, LandWorks is here for all the right reasons, it also boosts people’s confidence you know like seeing my things up on the internet, like I said, and you know being able to help out, and even the supporters, I remember the first time I met a supporter, I was bricking it because you know, I always think about how people must think of me, and then you know one of the ladies in there said to me, you know what are you doing when you leave here, and I was like I don’t know, [and she said] you’ll have to, you know, just go and shine somewhere else, and it’s just the little things like that… so you know it’s being appreciated, is quite nice actually…”