Case Studies

Brian.

Brian’s life has been in decline for the last ten years. At the age of 17 he found himself moving around various hostels and supported accommodation projects in West Lothian. After a while he was delighted to be offered a flat of his own by the local council. At the age of seventeen Brian didn’t realise that he didn’t have the skills or experience required to sustain his own tenancy. To make life even more challenging for him he now found himself living in an area which had a reputation for hard drugs and crime.

Brian’s vulnerability meant he was soon sucked into this world and soon developed an addiction to heroin which subsequently lead him into crime. At the end of 2009 through support from a local agency, Brian managed to become stabilised on a methadone programme. The same agency referred him to the GRoW project. After an initial meeting with the workshop manager, Brian began volunteering at the project. He quickly realised that this kind of structure is what has been lacking in his life. Brian volunteers at the project every day often arriving before the manager! He has a real appetite for woodwork and works within all Health & Safety guidelines. His commitment to the project is second to none and he has great pride in the work he produces.

He is a great ambassador for the project always keen to speak to visitors. Brian repeatedly says that GRoW has allowed him to change his life.

He is now looking forward to a career in woodwork and has already started applying for jobs and college placements.