Hello,
Last Wednesday, Her Royal Highness Princess Anne visited LandWorks – and yes, we were expecting her!
It was a wonderful day. Barry, who has been on placement here for a few months, told me it was the proudest day of his life.
From the outset, our aim was to give Her Royal Highness an understanding of the challenges our guys face, whilst also celebrating their journeys and achievements, and highlighting the tremendous work our team do every day. It was also an opportunity to acknowledge the ongoing support from our Trustees, Ambassadors and Supporters.
And I believe we achieved exactly that.
We found Princess Anne to be well-informed, approachable, and deeply interested in everything we do. She listened intently as Joe shared his story, and he later reflected:
“It meant so much that someone in her position took the time to listen and understand my story of addiction and recovery.”
During the walk around, meeting the team, trainees and graduates along the way, she offered several thoughtful and helpful suggestions for our future development.
It’s fair to say that before her arrival, there were some mixed feelings amongst our cohort, but those quickly disappeared within minutes of meeting her.
For individuals who often feel marginalised or on the edges of society, her presence represents a moment of genuine acceptance, and I felt that sense of connection flowed both ways.
Later in the day, as I was processing it all, I messaged Gary Fulton (graduate and ‘One-Armed Potter’) to let him know that HRH had chosen one of his espresso cups… something to remember her visit to LandWorks.
Gary replied: “Princess Anne choosing one of my pots – bloody hell. I can say with 100% certainty that that scenario had never, ever been on my radar!”
There was a moment, as her helicopter lifted off from the field next to us and hovered above, when we all waved. I couldn’t help but wonder what she thought of it all. I had a real sense that she got it.
And it made me reflect, after all these years, what do you make of it all?
We’d really value hearing your thoughts on LandWorks… good, bad, or indifferent.
Your feedback and reflections will be incredibly helpful as we continue developing our Reimagining Rehabilitation and Resettlement project – creating a blueprint for how to replicate the LandWorks model.
Maybe near Windsor.
Chris
23rd October 2025