LandWorks, the pioneering resettlement scheme at Dartington, welcomed 151 supporters, volunteers, and partners to its 12th annual Supporters’ Day on August 16 to celebrate another remarkable year of achievement in which it was named Overall Winner of the 2024 Charity Awards.

The sun shone on the Quarry Field site as guests, including newly elected MP for South Devon, Caroline Voaden, enjoyed the opportunity to explore the project’s recently extended carpentry workshop, market garden, pottery, and beautiful new ‘health and wellbeing’ yurt, and to meet and chat with the LandWorks team, trainees and graduates.

Almost £1,500 was raised for the charity through sales of LandWorks’ wooden and ceramic gifts, garden furniture and freshly grown vegetables, and donations towards the tea and cakes that were provided by the LandWorks team and volunteers. Copies of LandWorks’ powerful and thought-provoking book Acceptance were also purchased, along with several hundred raffle tickets.

Since LandWorks opened its doors in July 2013, it has helped over 200 people leaving prison, or a risk of going to prison, to find a route back into the community and employment through a combination of vocational skills training, practical living support, and counselling. Some 94 per cent of former trainees seeking employment are in work, and fewer than six per cent go on to reoffend within a year.

Reflecting on an exceptional year of achievement and recognition, Project Director, Chris Parsons said: “Winning the overall award at the 2024 Charity Awards is a seriously significant accolade for a small organisation such as LandWorks.

“As the judges recognised, LandWorks is the sum of all its parts – our team, our trainees, our supporters, and the partners we work so closely with, including the probation service, prison, police and the NHS.

LandWorks is about to launch a two-year project to develop a blueprint for how the LandWorks model and ethos works, and could work elsewhere, called ‘Reimagining Resettlement’.

Dr Julie Parsons, associate professor in sociology and criminology at the University of Plymouth, went on to highlight LandWorks’ long-standing partnership with the university, and the value of the PeN Research Project she leads: “PeN gives people on placement at LandWorks the opportunity to share their stories with the wider community.

“These conversations can be difficult at times; however, they are also great at documenting hope and acceptance.”

LandWorks graduate Steve then spoke movingly about how the charity has helped him to turn his life around: “In 2015 I hit rock bottom.

“I had a problem with drugs and alcohol and wound up on remand in Exeter prison,” he explained. “On leaving, I took all the possible steps I could to turn my life around, including engaging with mental health support and probation, but was subsequently left unsupported and fell back into my old habits.

Since engaging with LandWorks in 2020 it has not been an easy ride, but I didn’t relapse due to the support of LandWorks.

I am now working in a peer support role with the NHS, working in the community with criminal justice liaison diversion.”