“My first couple of days here I relapsed and I was back using drugs again after being clean like all year, I’d relapsed. I was trying to hide it and me and ‘big man’ got in an argument in the van, yeah, to the point he got really angry and was like slapping the steering-wheel. … More Jax says: “I like being at LandWorks coz I feel like it’s my safe space.”
“…coming out of prison it’s just hard to get work because most places won’t take you on with a criminal record so, I’ve been struggling really hard with that and just, my motivation was just going down and I was feeling a bit depressed. I wasn’t really doing much, so this has given me like … More David says: “I love the fact that we all sit around one table and like we all have like discussions and talks about like different things, it’s never always the same thing…”
“It’s been really good. It sort of gave me a purpose coz I was coming sort of two days a week as well. It gave me purpose. It sort of broke my week up as well. I don’t know, it’s changed me a lot in a sense I’ve probably got a lot more confidence back, … More Chantal says: “LandWorks has given me motivation and faith in the world…”
“So after coming out of prison I thought my life was gonna be amazing, […], I would go back to normal life but without the stresses and the dramas of being on bail … that wasn’t the case. […] With all that, my mental health, you know, I came out with such, you know, great … More Cherry says: “one thing I struggled with, coming out of prison, is feeling like I was being judged by everyone.”
“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 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’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 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 