Hello,
I thought given the rather bleak news around at the moment I would write something a little more upbeat, positive, perhaps even a little bit cheerful…
So, over the last 12 months we have provided 37 placements, with many people turning lives around. One of these challenging journeys was brilliantly captured in November by Tony who used a clock to portray his life changing time at LandWorks. See below.
In the New Year we are providing an apprenticeship (first time) for one of our current trainees. Over 2023 he will learn both the theory and practical side of market gardening leading to a Royal Horticultural Society qualification.
We have remained in contact with around 122 graduates. This long-term contact is significant in underpinning lasting change. The stories here are too numerous to recount but one great example is Steve who has saved his pennies for months and is this week getting married on a ship, mid ocean, all carefully planned with the captain performing the ceremony.
This year, as we have every Christmas for the last ten years, we are hosting the LandWorks Christmas lunch. This is now an established tradition and many of the current trainees and some Graduates (although many are unable to get away from work) will be there.
As we finally moved away from Covid restrictions, we have been hosting more and more visitors again at LandWorks. Often joining us for a lunch and getting to understand the project a little more…
However, I have often worried (a lot) that folk just leave here feeling that they have spent time in the most wonderful utopian place, where everything is just lovely. Potentially completely missing the real backstory, the underlying stories of messed up chaotic lives, which we see and work with every day.
More recently I have changed my thinking on this, got over myself, and started to see this as actually something to be celebrated.
The fact that people can visit us here and experience the same sense of community that has always underpinned LandWorks is great. But the real triumph is that people on placements are obviously able to show and be accepted for this better version of themselves. Which to a greater or lesser degree is what resettlement is all about.
The fact is nobody is ever an outsider at LandWorks.
And one of my pinnacles of hope at this time of year… in few days’ time, the light starts coming back.
So, a very Merry Christmas when it comes.
Chris
15th December 2022