“I vaguely remember the first day. I was very nervous, yeah. Do you know when it was? No, I don’t, because there was a few weeks I didn’t come. Some reasons were valid, but sometimes I just like, you know … but I’m loving it now and my mindset’s so much better. I really look forward to coming here now. But my first day I was really nervous, I remember. I remember speaking to… yeah, outside, but it’s a bit of a blur, yeah. I came up here first with my probation officer, yeah, we had lunch. It was a full house, I think.
The drive in … because I love nature, this is me … the drive in, it’s so lovely and then sometimes Steve, he’ll go the long way for me. It’s such a good bunch, they really are. But yeah, I just love the scenery around here, so even more so I love coming here.
A few months. Yeah, I think just a few months. But yeah, like I said, some weeks I didn’t come. But it hasn’t been since the … well I got texts from Chris in Feb … it might be Feb. Yeah, it was after my dad had died, because my dad died just at the end of Christmas. Yeah.
Then obviously I was homeless and then … because I was put up in emergency accommodation, but they only give you 56 days. So, when my boyfriend died, I went and stayed with my dad for a bit and then I was put in emergency accommodation and then after 56 days they kind of … I actually stayed for longer because the woman who owned the … it was like a hotel-type place, she was really nice… but then the council were like you’re not vulnerable enough, you can sleep homeless, like you’re ok. I was like oh no…
Here … probably the pottery because I’m loving what I’m making. I’m really proud of my plant-pot. It’s all I’ve been talking about. Do you know what, I think that is my finished one. Because it’s really wonky, so it must be mine. So yeah, here, Oh, I love the gardening as well though with Monika. I love that. I’ve been in the wood-shop. The saw, for me, is a bit … Graham helps me with that because I’m really like scatty. But I love everything here. What haven’t I done? I’ve cooked a couple of times. I’ve been with Steve, but that’s more maintenance isn’t it. Yeah, the pottery, I’ve been in the pottery the last couple of weeks doing my thing. Yeah, I’m making an ash-tray as well. I’ll actually use it, but hopefully not that much.
Like I said, some weeks I didn’t come. I was just doing the gardening and since then I’ve been in the pottery and then a couple of times in the wood-shop, because like I said, I made a couple of chopping-boards and then the last time I was in there, I was drilling in all the benches, yeah. They were good. Them benches look good don’t they … different. I didn’t know you got orders from like just … yeah, it’s great.
When I come here, I thought like everybody was naughty. I know the trainees … because when Matey’s dad was coming, I was like is he naughty? No. But yeah, I thought everyone had been naughty. I thought everyone had been to jail.
I’d never been in trouble before and I worked full-time, I had good credit, it was purely drugs and I was just caught up in the … you know, I wasn’t a mastermind drug-dealer. So yeah, they knew that. But yeah, I was fortunate enough not to go to jail because you know, it was a lot of drugs.
Probation’s done good for me too, like telling me about here and that. If you want to change your life it’s really good, it’s really good. I’ve seen what it does, so I love it.
The goal is to just, you know, get back to work. They say what do I want to do … I just don’t know. I’ve never been ambitious. I’ve always just grafted, you know, I love my job. I was just a waitress, but I really enjoyed it, you know. If I’m happy doing anything, that’s all that matters because you spend half your life at work. I’ve got to be happy there. So, you know, I’m not frightened of hard graft, you know, what I’m used to, I’d like to work with dogs, so I’ll probably look into that, yeah, outdoorsy. That’s what I want to do but like I said if I got a job … if I was happy in it, it doesn’t matter because yeah, you’ve got to pay the rent.
Being here, I just love it. I really like it and I think you all do an amazing job. The turnaround … look at some of the guys here, I never knew them before, but they seem to be thriving now and I’m seeing it in myself. Look at… you know, he’s working here now. Elli, Daniela, you’re all a great bunch.
It’s really brought me out and it’s helped with my anxiety as well … being with people, you know, and them understanding, you know. We’re all in kind of the same boat as well, so it’s understanding.
… really, really nice people. I’ve got so many good things to say about LandWorks. I really love it. I’m really happy I can continue to come for a bit because I am really getting better in my head. For me to not come, I’d be alright but … I can find something else to do but it really takes up the time when you’re doing stuff. I’m doing stuff, you know. I love everyone and Steve getting us every morning. He’s such a great chap. Yeah, love them all.
But thank you for letting me speak. Thank you. Are we done? Alright. Cool…”
A window into LandWorks 