“…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’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…”
“So, I studied at the University of Plymouth, where I did sociology for three years and within that three years, I did a placement at LandWorks. So, I volunteered here pretty much every Thursday until lockdown got introduced. So yeah, I came out here every Thursday. I remember like my first impressions. Oh gosh, I’ve … More Rose says: “I like seeing the little changes in people…”
“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…”
“So, I’ve always had real interest in working with people who have been through the Criminal Justice System. I think when … yeah, when I was kind of like trying to decide what I wanted to study and things like that, criminology was kind of right up there and criminal psychology and kind of understanding … More Lexa says… “You’re allowed to be a bit odd here, which is quite nice.”
“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 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 a trainee police officer on a week’s placement… I didn’t know LandWorks despite living … I’ve got family in Totnes, so, I’ve kind of heard of LandWorks, but not exactly what they do. I did some research online and knew that there would be manual work and outdoor work and woodwork, but I … More Jack says: “You coppers are all the same, well, we’re not.”
“There are the things that the courts never gets to hear, because the police say you are this, this is what you are. I’m a hard-working person and this is what I do, but all they heard was ‘this is what he is’ and ‘that’s what he is’ and ‘this is because we think this’. … More Lee says: “For 18 months I’ve been sat in that prison with a stagnant mind. I need something to do and here it is…”
“I’m nearly leaving now, what a gang of people you’ve got out here. They’ve not just helped me, they’ve helped me in ways I didn’t think I could possibly be helped. Being a heroin addict for 30 years and coming out of myself within five months, I didn’t think could be possible. So, I feel … More Eric says: “I’m nearly mended”
A window into LandWorks 