“I was talking to my probation officer one day and I weren’t in the best of moods. He was asking me about what’s the matter and stuff like that, so I explained to him I’m just bored all the time and I just had too much time on my hands because I just didn’t do … More KJ says: “It always makes me really happy when everyone likes the food…”
“…my probation officer, she was asking me to start coming for like a good six to eight months before I actually did, yeah, because I never used to really go out anywhere or do anything and I didn’t like going anywhere, so yeah, she kept saying that I’d really enjoy it and it would be … More Amelia says: “It’s given me routine, structure, discipline and like friends…”
“I like being active and doing stuff, like woodwork and stuff, which being at LandWorks has helped me do. I just like being active and doing things. When I’m doing things, I don’t get myself into trouble with the police and stuff. So, I think it’s quite good for me to keep myself busy and … More Josh says: “I’ve learnt, if I make a mistake, it’s easily rectified and if it’s not easily rectified, just start again…”
“Well, opportunity innit. I mean I’m doing nothing. Probation … community plan. I used to be … what do you call it now? Where you’re committing crime all the time. I used to be on prolific offenders during me 20’s and 30’s … burglaries, robberies, woundings, stuff like that. I done robberies mostly. I were … More Mick says: “I like coming here – I feel a sense of peace. I feel at peace now…”
“Well, you know Gabriel from probation, he was trying to find me something to do, spill the time, you know. I’m not actually being employed at the moment and too much time on my hands and at the time I was in a toxic relationship… When I was in before Christmas, she was still using … More Anthony says: “this place is really helping me to get back into normal living…”
In prison I kept myself to myself. I just stood back and done my time. I saw it as a golden opportunity. I wanted to go to prison. I got stuck in a rut. I lost my job due to alcohol and drugs. Slowly, accommodation started to grind to a halt […] Where do you … More Eric says: “I used to thrive off the narrow escapes of my own recklessness”
“I didn’t have a criminal record until I was 40. I wasn’t a master criminal or nothing. It’s s*%t, isn’t it? [Lockdown in prison]… It was just s*%t, lying on a bed for six months. I don’t understand why they’re still doing it now. It’s still lockdown now in prison. F* knows what must be … More Max says: “That’s what you need stability, when you get out of prison… a little stability can create a big change”
“I get anxious wherever I go, anywhere new or meeting people for the first time. My anxiety levels go sky-high… I think it’s gradually got worse over the years. Where I’ve gone into prison, and when I come back out, I’m missing chunks of peoples lives and I’m not used to seeing so many people … More Tommy says: “I don’t rate myself very highly. I’m here, that’s the main thing.”
“I’m the sort of person where if I’m going to work say at six, I’ll start getting anxious about that, even though I know everything I’m doing in that job, and that everybody’s happy with what I’m doing, there’s no problems, I’ll start getting anxious about that about 2.30 in the afternoon, and then there’s … More Reece says: “what I’ve found here, is I’ve found some friendships and I’ve found conversations…”
“I’ve been coming out here for a few months. I was unemployed. I was on the streets. Then I went into jail. Discovered LandWorks and then I made enquiries about it and the prisoners from in the prison said it was rubbish, but I thought I had to go out and try it for myself. … More Terry says: “The best bit of LandWorks would be like they actually took a bit of interest in me…”
A window into LandWorks 