“I was so nervous, I just didn’t know what to expect. I just didn’t know anything. I did go online and watch the film. I cried my fucking eyes out, I was just crying all the way through it, you know, I just thought it was the whole thing, it was fantastic, you know, the … More Kara says: “I just thought oh my god, I can be like you, I can do it as well.”
“I’ve been here a bit longer than the usual six to nine months. Chris has helped me out with that coz yeah, I had to put things in place but I’m a lot more positive and confident leaving now… I mean I’ve got a little job; I’ve also applied at **, which looks good. I … More Patrick says: ‘LandWorks; what I always liked about it, it’s just … you know you can come here and feel safe.”
“Jarvis brought me to LandWorks. Now, it’s gonna sound quite weird but at first they were like how about you go LandWorks, you try this, you try that … I was like nah, f*** it, that ain’t for me because it was like woodwork, gardening, pottery, I was like no, I don’t like getting dirty, … More Jax says: “LandWorks is doing something right. It’s gave me a new purpose…”
“I was having a panic attack when I got here the first time ‘coz I’m anaemic and stuff […] My probation officer brought me here. I thought it was a bit of a weird setting. I think everyone was in yoga, so it was nice that everyone wasn’t about. I think it would’ve been way … More Chantal says: “It’s really like what you call therapeutic. When you’re making stuff you’re not thinking about stuff.”
“I came to LandWorks so I could get out a bit more. To learn new stuff. Probation brought me to visit. It was good. Felt like it was a good atmosphere. I was nervous meeting new people. Yeah, I was nervous about meeting new people, but once I met them, I’m ok. I get the … More Stan says: “I tend to sit and listen to see if I can trust ‘em. I don’t wanna hang onto people that would be annoying, but lucky enough here, nobody’s annoying. Now I’m on the right path.”
… I’ll get somewhere to put a few possessions so I can lock a door behind me and put my head down on a pillow. That’s a good thing to do, find somewhere to live, which I’m sure I’ll be able to do soon. Yeah, and get some work. I ain’t fussed. I’ll probably just … More Ray says: “Being here…it’s a non-custodial sentence … you’ve gotta give back, you’ve gotta have my time and my labour as opposed to me losing my liberty…”
“It’s been great being here. It’s ticked so many more … not ticked boxes, that’s the wrong thing to say there, it’s been educational for me and enriching for me to be here with you guys. It’s really filled parts of me that I didn’t, you know, that I didn’t even know. It’s just the … More T-bunny says: “We all get hiccups and glitches don’t we, like you know, but it’ll be alright.”
“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: “LandWorks makes you feel more like you’re part of the community and it makes me want to be able to do something with my life…”
“I’m a brick-layer by trade, but I worked on the boats quite a lot. [Good work?] It is if you don’t like people. [Don’t like people?] Not particularly. Most of ‘em are very dishonest. I’m almost 60 and I’ve met many dishonest people in my life. [Met some good people?] Yeah, maybe on one hand, … More Bruce says: “It’s just a nice environment innit. It’s a nice place, nice environment, nice food, nice people, nice little dog. Yeah.”
“I still go back and forward. I still have days where I completely shut down, but I’m much more withheld now, like drawn back if I get into those episodes. I don’t talk to anyone, and I don’t … whereas before it was more like a cry out for help, whereas now it’s not, now … More Deer says: “a lot of people say to me that I’m a creative person and recognise the effort I put into my work, and it makes me wanna do stuff outside of LandWorks and be creative…”
A window into LandWorks 