“…coming out of prison it’s just hard to get work because most places won’t take you on with a criminal record so, I’ve been struggling really hard with that and just, my motivation was just going down and I was feeling a bit depressed. I wasn’t really doing much, so this has given me like the incentive to actually get up and do something rather than just moping around the house, which is really good. I’m thoroughly enjoying it here, which is really nice. I get on with everyone.”…coming out of prison it’s just hard to get work because most places won’t take you on with a criminal record so, I’ve been struggling really hard with that and just, my motivation was just going down and I was feeling a bit depressed. I wasn’t really doing much, so this has given me like the incentive to actually get up and do something rather than just moping around the house, which is really good. I’m thoroughly enjoying it here, which is really nice. I get on with everyone.
…one of the main reasons why I ended up in prison was because I was drinking heavily. But it’s been really good. So, I haven’t really drunk since. Since I’ve been here, I haven’t, you know, I haven’t even thought about it, which is good, I’ve had other things to think about. I go home of an evening time and just, sit down with my mum and explain what I’ve been doing all day, which is really nice.
She’s noticed a change. I’ve noticed it in myself since coming here. I’ve felt a lot more better about myself coming here and it’s also … it’s ticking the right boxes and it’s been … I don’t know, six months since I’ve seen my children and , I had a phone call yesterday from my ex-partner saying that social has turned around and said that I can now start having access to my children, just for coming here and showing that I can do something instead of just drinking all the time. It’s been really good.
…I don’t know, just like my moods, my motivation, you know, I’m not just moping around depressed because I’ve actually got something to do, or even just to talk about, like with my brother and my mum, it’s just something to just talk about and it’s like really good, something that I can talk to my children about as well, they’re really fascinated with all that I’m doing, which is really good.
Like last night, it was only about an hour-and-a-half I think I was on the phone, on video call, but, they read like four books to me because they have to read like two books a night. It was really good.
But yeah, onwards and upwards, I think. Stay on the right track and I should be fine, avoid the people that were bringing me down, that’s the main thing. Yeah, like half of my friends, they were just like help me come and do this, come and help me do that, and it’s like mate, come on, you know, I’ve just got out of prison and you’re wanting me to do things like this and I was just like I’m just gonna end up back in there before.
It’s like I’ve been with Steve doing like the maintenance side of it, and the same with the garden, and the same with the workshop, once you’ve done it you can then stand back and go look at that, you’ve achieved that for the day, you’ve actually achieved something, you’ve achieved something out of it rather than just moping around the house. There’s only so many times you can clean the house in one day.
I struggle like sitting still. It’s like I don’t really watch films and stuff on telly. I don’t really sit and watch telly because I get like five minutes into it, and I’m just like bored with it. I need something to do, you know.
I find all the meals have been really nice, to be fair. It’s like different sort of things, I’ve tried a few different things here that I wouldn’t have thought about doing at home, you know, and it’s been really good. I love the fact that we all sit around one table and like we all have like discussions and talks about like different things, it’s never always the same thing.
Things like that, like the discussions and just like the general like chitter chatter and like everyone’s banter, it’s lovely. It’s gives you that little like lift, positive thoughts and things like that, which is really good. I find it lovely. I think it’s brilliant.
Like in a normal workplace they wouldn’t all just like sit down and all eat together, would they, you know, they all like sit separately and like don’t really like chat about things and stuff like that.
That’s like another good thing, a real positive vibe that I get from the place. Everyone’s happy to help everyone, which is nice, and if anyone’s struggling with anything, there’s always somebody there that’s willing to help. I’ve noticed everyone’s pretty much willing to listen, you know, if you’ve got anything on your mind or you need to talk to somebody, there’s always somebody about that’s got the spare five minutes who’s prepared to listen. Everyone seems, like it here, everyone that I’ve met so far here, seems to be willing to, if you’re having a bit of a rough day.
So that’s what LandWorks is really doing for me, it’s done a helluva a lot, you know, so it’s really good. It’s made a lot of like life difference, really good things, so it’s really good. That’s why like every day, when I see Chris like in the evening time, I always say thank you to him for allowing me to come out here because he doesn’t see that sort of side of it, he doesn’t see what it’s actually made for me, like changed, which has been really good, really good. I’m really excited.”
A window into LandWorks 