The sun was beaming down as we pulled into the grounds of LandWorks on the Dartington Estate in rural Devon. Matching its warmth was the firm handshake of founder Chris Parsons as he greeted us outside his wooden clad office, a tall, burly fellow with kind eyes and a jovial spirit.
LandWorks is a charity offering skills based training to serving and ex-prisoners which aspires to make the transition back into society a slightly easier one. Frequent lunches with neighbours and charity supporters encourage communication, whilst training in carpentry and landscaping, amongst others, offer skills which not only could be useful in future employment but also assert a sense of pride and craftsmanship in the work.
We visited on a day when the men were back in prison but evidence of their presence is easy to spot, from the handpainted ceramic tiles, to the digger left poised at the foot of a wall someone is in the process of building. Handcarved notes of positivity and encouragement scatter the woodworking area, and a row of freshly washed t-shirts are hanging on a line waiting patiently to start a new day of work.
As we walked around the site Chris talked us through how LandWorks came to be, the philosophy behind the project and what keeps him motivated.