Chris Parsons’ Blog

Hello, You know what’s it’s like, wee small hours, drifting in and out of sleep! Then I’m listening to the wild wind blowing. Then I’m worrying about an old oak tree at LandWorks. Not sure how…

Hello, Did you know that the arrival of an elephant on a Friday is thought by many communities to be of great significance? No, nor did I. These days there is little that surprises us at…

Hello, My name is Sam and I’m an employee and part of the team here at LandWorks tending after the Market Garden. I’ve been asked to write this week’s blog by Chris, and initially I was…

Hello, Christmas is coming and I am waiting outside the Totnes supermarket. Despite my disguise of looking old, grumpy and wearing a hat, festive folk surprisingly want to talk to me… “How’s LandWorks going?”, said a…

Hello, A few days ago, I went out and yelled at all the smokers, as they sat in exclusion, in the tiny damp smoking area. At LandWorks smokers are completely the majority (most days 100% of…

Hello, I opened the gates as usual. Still dark, the security lights flash on. I found my office, revved up my computer and got on with stuff. As the morning light came up, I started to…

Hello, Sometimes, as in right now, I look for hope, resilience, and the human spirit… A promised land. Very sadly, four young LandWorks graduates have died this year, all tragically. All graduates from over the last ten…

Hello, During our supporters’ event last month, a very pleasant, determined supporter took me to one side and said quite clearly, “Look Chris, there are many of your supporters like me who can afford to donate…

Hello, I ran to our shop, clutching a box of freshly laid eggs. These were for a waiting customer, who told me (in a strong Geordie accent) “Chris man, you’re not quite as efficient as Stephen…

Hello, A very frequent question… “You just work with the easy ones don’t you, that’s why your success rate is so high and reoffending rate so low?” A good and pertinent question. The simple answer is….

Hello, One of the remarkable things about LandWorks is that those who complete a placement rarely lose contact. For loads of different reasons, people want to stay in touch. We call this ever-expanding group, ‘LandWorks graduates’…

Hello, “Chris mate, it was this prison sentence that saved me.” Karl B told me this in 2005 (pre-LandWorks), he had just been released from HMP Channings Wood and was explaining his life story. It stunned…