Hello,
Imagining what LandWorks could look like 12 years ago did take a bit of thought. Looking back now at our early plans and diagrams, it is interesting that the same core principles that we identified as important then, are still underpinning LandWorks today.
Ted Tuppen (our chair of trustees) encouraged me in 2013 with the very supportive view that, “If we change only one life for the better then it will be worth it”. With that in mind I think you would be interested in this year’s Chairmans’ message in our annual report.
As Lee (trainee 2014) told me last week… “I still to this day realise that knowing genuine decent people from LandWorks was a turning point in my life. LandWorks made me feel like it was possible to change and right now I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Since then, many lives have changed for the better.
We have spent the best part of 12 years honing our rehabilitation and resettlement offer.
Listening, understanding and responding to those who have been here.
We have developed our own bespoke way of working and an overarching ethos.
We are often asked why can’t there be more LandWorks?
And we are now starting to respond to this.
Thanks to the encouragement and generosity of some long-term funders, we are launching a two-year research and policy development project in 2025 with the working title “Reimagining Rehabilitation and Resettlement”. This will draw on our experience at LandWorks and the wealth of research we have accumulated. The project will seek to identify the key elements of the LandWorks model and how it can be most effectively replicated across the country.
As Lee said… “When I came to LandWorks I was at a total loss, and I had only ever known undesirable people, unfortunately that included my own family. For me LandWorks gave me a new outlook on life just by knowing there was good people in the world, as when you are wrapped up in drug abuse and crime your hope of being anything else doesn’t even exist…
It will always be the beginning of my new life, thankyou”
Essentially, we will produce a blueprint, a guidebook on how to run a LandWorks…And we will make the case for why it could and should be done.
You get the idea. No longer imagining what could work, but more broadly reimagining rehabilitation and resettlement by demonstrating that the LandWorks model works.
This could change many lives.
That is some to be cheerful about.
Chris
13th February 2025