“Obviously, I’m here doing my hours that I was given by probation for a car accident that I had back in October last year… I actually came for a little walk round, just to meet everyone. I was very nervous about coming here. It sounds awful, doesn’t it. You have an image in your head, … More Aaron says: “I’ve been surprised by the people I’ve met…”
“I’ve been on a journey … still on a journey of recovery now. I was just … actually two weeks ago I finished my mental health order, which I had for six months. I got a certificate, which I haven’t had for years. My mental health’s a thousand times better than what it was. I … More Sam says: “I’ve been on a journey… still on a journey of recovery now”
The first time I came to have a look around and meeting everyone and seeing everything, I just instantly was like this is what I want to do. Like I instantly knew. I just feel safe here and I find it hard to trust people, especially people like in authority or whatever, but I instantly … More Deer says: “seeing that a lot of people who work here used to be like us, it’s a symbol of hope…”
“I’ve done quite a lot of stuff here like. It made me feel a lot more like … it changed my way of life … there’s more to life and that. It makes you feel more like part of the community and makes me want to be able to do something with my life. Before … More JimBob says: ”this place taught me to be truthful and to say how it is…”
“I see Graham a lot. I love that. We have a laugh don’t we, and just making great stuff. We’re gonna be making that thing for * … a bin area, keep her bins safe so they don’t blow away […] Yeah, so we’ll be making that, and we’ll just be making like the benches … More Justina says: “sometimes trauma and bad things can make you into a better person…”
“I like being around non-judgemental people and when you’ve just recently been found guilty in court of wrongdoing, a lot of people around you in your life, people that read it in the newspaper, all like to take that opportunity to put you down and hold it over you, so it’s quite refreshing to be … More Stef says: “The bit that’s hardest to quantify isn’t to do with producing things for LandWorks. So, it’s not really the bit that’s ticking your hours off, it’s the bit in between where the magic happens.”
“… 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…”
“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…”
“Everything’s quite good actually. I’m in my supported living after the crap that went on with my ex- and the placement for my rehab. But yeah, luckily for me my key worker stuck by me. Yeah, I was in there and that was going well. I went in there October, so that’s six months in. … More Tony says: “… coming here I call it work and probably a safe haven…”
A window into LandWorks 