A window into LandWorks

“I came to LandWorks so I could get out a bit more. To learn new stuff. Probation brought me to visit. It was good. Felt like it was a good atmosphere. I was nervous meeting new people. Yeah, I was nervous about meeting new people, but once I met them, I’m ok. I get the train here, which is good, coz I like trains.

Probation said it would be a good opportunity to help me with my routine. [Routine before] It was just everywhere, like going bed like stupid time in the morning coz I was gaming. GTA … Grand Theft Auto. I’m still gaming, but not as much … not much late nights.

I’ve been coming to LandWorks for a few weeks. I like it coz I get to meet new people, joke around. I like cooking … just learning how to cook better and chance to learn new foods to cook, like cooking a roast.

I’ve mostly worked with Dan majority of the time … gardening … planting, de-weeding, except for the new bed. I like it coz I get to know the plants a bit more … well, wildlife … birds. The other day I found a feather that looks like a buzzard feather, he said next time hopefully he’ll bring his bird book…

I’ve done some pottery … my tile. I’ve got two of my tiles … two of my football teams, coz I couldn’t fit ‘em on one tile … Liverpool and Bristol Rovers. I’ve seen them play, yeah, I used to live in Bristol, everywhere. I was in Hartcliffe, Fishponds, just south of Bristol, the Bristol City side, near the stadium … it would take like an hour, also depending on the traffic. I went to a few games. I went to Memorial Stadium where I used to watch ‘em … Rovers … the other team play at Trashton Gate, coz it’s called Ashton Gate, but I called it Trashton Gate…

Even though I love my dad … I say it to everyone, people know I love my dad but I’m not a big fan of him. He’s a big Bristol City support so I just chose Rovers. He was just an alcoholic. If he wants to see us, me and my brother, he has to be sober, and it has to be with Social Services as well…

When I first went into care I was seven. It took four years to get everything sorted, to find a foster family. I was there at 11, before that, it was just me and me brother looking to get an actual placement. The carers looked after me and me brother until a placement was sorted Yeah. [Tough time] Yeah. It happens.

My foster family had six cats, three dogs, half a dozen chickens, fishes, snake. It was a big garden, big but not like massively big. We let the cats do anything they wanted.  I had a British bulldog, a black labrador and a Jack Russell that was crossed with a terrier. I was the only kid in the house, but they had two children of their own, but they were older than me. I liked it there, yeah. I’m not sad. Yeah, I had good times with them.

I went to college… in September 2012. I was there for three years. I didn’t want to leave. You can only stay there for three years. They asked me if I wanted to stay down here to work, I wanted to stay down here and they just started doing, as well … what’s it called? Internship, so they asked me if I wanted to do it, I said yeah, and then that lasted a year. I was there for four years, but for residential three years.

I had shared accommodation with two other friends, and we decided to … two of us started to move and the third one didn’t have any choice. She had to move as well. She had no choice. So I moved down into town… for a few years. Then they kicked me out coz there was a reason, coz they wanted the extra space coz they were expanding, and they helped me with the place I have now.

I was hoping to qualify to be a football coach, but stuff happened, and I couldn’t. [were you injured?] No, the police. Now, is just watching football. I haven’t played for years. I just don’t want … it was getting too much and the travel to get there is hard as well. Training … I’m ok getting to training coz obviously with the tournaments, it could be in … one was like Tavistock, but it’s gonna get very hard to get to coz if I wanna get a lift from people I’ll have to go to the stadium, but the first train or bus will get in after they’ve left. So some I want to go to, I can … the care company wouldn’t put support in for it.

I’ve done courses but not work. I had work experience when I was at college, which was at the leisure centre and the sports centre. It was good … cleaning the gym equipment, cleaning the squash courts and the changing rooms. Nothing since. I want to get into paid work … anything that doesn’t involve talking to customers. I’d just be too shy. It’s first talking to them … I have to get to know them before

At LandWorks at lunchtimes you get to talk to everyone. It’s different here coz I already knew everyone. It wasn’t like that when I first came here but once I got the courage I was able to talk. I don’t know … just sitting there and listening. I tend to sit and listen to see if I can trust ‘em. I don’t wanna hang onto people that would be annoying, but lucky enough here, nobody’s annoying. Now I’m on the right path.”