Mabel says: “it’s really important to see that you can do something in one place in a community and it has huge ripples…”

“… I don’t have a house at the moment. I am living with friends and moving around. I mean I guess for me it’s a choice right now, so it feels like it’s ok. I was really struggling living in London with the whole like …busyness, the rent, the monotony, just hundreds and hundreds of … More Mabel says: “it’s really important to see that you can do something in one place in a community and it has huge ripples…”

Eric says: “I’ve sown stuff, I’ve planted it, I’ve grown it and I’ve harvested it and I’ve eaten it…”

“When I first come here, obviously you get given the choice between woodwork, pottery and gardening. I done the gardening, but I was doing the work on the poly-tunnels, and I thought to myself if I’m going to be doing this, I want to maintain it, I want to do it and keep up with … More Eric says: “I’ve sown stuff, I’ve planted it, I’ve grown it and I’ve harvested it and I’ve eaten it…”

Ben says: “that one person can actually give you a lot of your spark back. I think this place is brilliant for that”

…the judge said… he was like, if I see you in this court again, you are going down. I was like, thank you. I went into that court with a bag packed and everything thinking I was going. So yeah, better make the most of my last chance. I haven’t been inside yet and I … More Ben says: “that one person can actually give you a lot of your spark back. I think this place is brilliant for that”

Eric says: “I used to thrive off the narrow escapes of my own recklessness”

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”

Doris says: “You can’t just expect broken people to fix themselves. It doesn’t work like that…”

I’m Doris. I came to LandWorks about eight/nine weeks ago, not through community service, but through volunteering. I got a suspended sentence. My probation officer, who I’ve worked with for ages, he knows me really well … I was talking to him about going back to work. I wanted to start getting focussed and get … More Doris says: “You can’t just expect broken people to fix themselves. It doesn’t work like that…”

Glyn says: “It’s like you’re on a track and you come to a fork in the track. All them years ago I took the wrong fork. This time I’ve got out, I’ve took the right fork…”

“I class myself as a gentleman really, literally, always have done. Then a load of crime got involved from a very young age. So, I ended up doing 40 years in different institutions, incarcerated all over the country, leading up until now… Life in prison? I don’t have anything else to talk about. The next … More Glyn says: “It’s like you’re on a track and you come to a fork in the track. All them years ago I took the wrong fork. This time I’ve got out, I’ve took the right fork…”

Billy says: “without time in prison… you’d have never got me here in a million years”

“I’m coming towards the end of my sentence and felt that coming out to LandWorks would give me a very good introduction into future employment and future understanding of how life is going to be for me post-release. I turned it down [before] and I used to have a laugh with the boys and give … More Billy says: “without time in prison… you’d have never got me here in a million years”

Holly says: “It’s so nice to come here and get away from the hustle and bustle of life and be an equal…”

“I’m a florist. I love gardening. I love crafts, handcrafts and all sorts of stuff. Anything arty, crafty. Gardening is probably the best way to describe me. I love working with people and being a good team, helping out… I’ve been coming up since the beginning of May. It’s varied because I do work as … More Holly says: “It’s so nice to come here and get away from the hustle and bustle of life and be an equal…”

Benny Says: “I’m not broken, I’m just changing. I am transforming…”

“When I come out of prison I’ve got somewhere to live. I’m hoping to go back to teaching if I can. I used to do that and loved it. If I can’t do that or I need to earn money from day one, then the answer is I don’t really know. I’ve got a couple … More Benny Says: “I’m not broken, I’m just changing. I am transforming…”