Our sincere belief and experience is that part of the process of helping our service users back to society is through rebuilding their individual self-confidence and self-esteem.

This is not something you can wave a magic wand towards, and so as a charity we look for new ways in which to develop this process. Because our service users often feel unacknowledged and often overlooked by mainstream society, we have found meaningful work experience is a powerful tool.

Although long term partners, since May we have been working with Kent Enterprise Trust’s (KET) Conservation in the Community project, Hambrook Marshes, near Canterbury.

Service users who have attended work experience days have helped the project develop the site, engaged in activities and helped create facilities for others to enjoy.

About The Project

‘Set in the floodplain of the Great Stour just outside Canterbury, Hambrook Marshes is a site of Special Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI), recently reclassed as a Local Wildlife Site. This area also borders a Local Nature Reserve. KET aims to sustainably improve Hambrook Marshes for biodiversity and as a community resource by engaging diverse groups in East Kent and beyond. The marshes are currently managed under a Higher Level Stewardship agreement with Natural England to promote biodiversity and wildlife habitats.

Hambrook Marshes is run for the benefit of the community. Permissive access across the site means that everyone is able to use this free resource on the edge of a bustling city.

Plans also include the development of a dedicated area set aside to encourage breeding waders, and educational access focusing on the idea of the outdoor classroom, as well as an annual summer festival celebrating the achievements on site throughout the year. The Festival, which is called the ‘Haymaking festival’, aims to encourage more people to the site, while at the same time supporting local trades and shops and includes interactive displays in woodcrafts and traditional farming techniques and foods, plus much more. All future plans are carefully considered to encourage enjoyment and participation whilst promoting all forms of wildlife.’

Link: http://www.enterprisetrust.org/index.php?page=hambrook

Holly Andrews, a client worker from Catching Lives, says ‘seeing how the service users who have attended have benefitted personally has been absolutely amazing. From what they have told me personally, on top of what I have seen for myself, the experiences have been hugely rewarding and have created a real sense of achievement through contributing to the community. I also believe being away from their current lives and in a safe environment with others has also been hugely beneficial to their positive development.

In future weeks and months I hope to encourage more and more clients to come along and continue to build their confidence’.

You can help Catching Lives by offering similar work experience opportunities or volunteering to help on projects such as this. Please visit our volunteer’s section or contact us.