Hello,
Elmer the Elephant turned out to be a bit of a star, causing a great deal of interest at our recent Supporters’ event.
In the weeks running up to this, Elmer created a wonderful sense of coming together, with everyone at LandWorks becoming involved in restoring and painting this 8-foot-high wooden Indian elephant (kindly donated to us last year).
There is something rather profound in this seemingly simple activity. It reflects an important part of the thinking emerging from our research into why LW works: that rehabilitation is less about preventing people from committing crime through a particular intervention, and more about helping people move away from offending through developing new identities, relationships and opportunities.
Elmer became a small example of this in practice. People weren’t simply in receipt of an intervention; they were contributing to something together, developing skills, forming relationships and becoming part of a community. In a small way, they were creating a different sense of who they might be.
Supporters’ Day also acted as a great catalyst for people to make connections.
So many people told me that coming back each year felt like being part of a family, a community and I think this really resonated with our guys at LandWorks, feeling accepted and part of something.
We had over 150 supporters attend, and many took the opportunity to set up regular donations, a wonderful and practical way to support our small organisation and help us continue to do the work we do. Thank you.
In David McKee’s children’s story, Elmer is different from the other elephants. Brightly coloured, and for a while worries that being different means not belonging. Elmer tries to change to become like the other elephants, only to discover that the herd isn’t quite the same without Elmer.
So, it may be much more about creating the conditions in which people can develop a different identity, find a sense of belonging and discover that their differences and experiences can become part of what they contribute to a community.
Elmer (our Elmer) is, of course, just a colourful wooden elephant. But perhaps that’s part of the point. Sometimes the things that bring a community together are surprisingly simple. What matters is creating the opportunity to belong, contribute and be valued.
And perhaps, like Elmer, rehabilitation is ultimately less about changing who someone is and more about creating the conditions in which they can discover who they might become.
Chris
3rd September 2026