health and wellbeing
hat really happens to people when they come out of prison? Many emerge with lost or non-existent skills, minimal employment prospects and no accommodation. This, coupled with a lack of family or other support network, is a recipe for the tragedy known as “the revolving door” syndrome.
Giving hope for a future W
The Langley House Trust was founded in 1958 by a group of Christian businessmen and women concerned about the needs of those leaving prison. Then, as now, re- offending rates were high and sadly, those most keen to befriend them were also those likely to lead them back into a life of crime. The vision was to offer a secure, homely environment with a husband and wife team acting as houseparents to enable newly released prisoners to make the difficult transition back into the community.
And so, one by one, the Trust opened a number of “houses” for this purpose. Today we call them projects and organise them slightly differently, but we have remained faithful to that original vision of God’s heart for the resettlement of offenders.
A number of the Trust’s 15 projects are in rural settings. One of these is Wing Grange, a Residential Training Centre set on the edge of beautiful countryside in Rutland. It aims to provide a restorative environment where up to 20 male residents can address their offending behaviour whilst developing life and vocational skills which will enable them to work towards increasing independence and eventually reintegrate into society.
Wing’s impressive range of buildings and horticultural facilities, clustered around the main house are a reminder of the generosity of earlier benefactors of Langley (Lord Rank
was himself an enthusiastic supporter of Langley’s work at Wing). Wing’s rural tranquillity is one of the attractions for many who come to us. They find it helpful to be in a peaceful environment with plenty of space to think and to be. Being in close proximity to other people can be a negative trigger for individuals with chronic anxiety. Some residents dislike noise, so the remote setting with its beautiful views can be beneficial to their rehabilitation.
A strong emphasis is placed on the quality of relationships between staff and residents, and on consistency. Staff identify meaningful boundaries, not physical ones like those already experienced in prison. They give residents appropriate feedback in terms of their behaviour and actions. This can be a revelation to ex-offenders who have little idea of what causes their own behaviour or of the effect it has on others.
From its earliest days, Wing has concentrated on its magnificent horticultural facilities. These still provide meaningful training and work
for a number of its residents who cultivate the grounds and harvest produce which is used in the kitchens as well as being sold at weekly farmers’ markets in neighbouring Oakham. Increasingly, alongside this, opportunities are being provided in other skills areas such as information technology, employment preparation and decorating.
Wing is, above all, a place where we can offer damaged people a second chance. In the words of one resident, “The staff have given me a lot of help. I needed that to get back on track.”
Andy Lyle
The Langley House Trust operates 15 projects across England of five broad types: Fresh Start Projects, Drug Rehabilitation Centres, Resettlement Projects (including Women’s Projects), Residential Training Centres and Registered Care Homes. For information on how to support the work of the Trust, please visit
www.langleyhousetrust.org Contact Andy Lyle on 01566 779123 or
a.lyle@
langleyhousetrust.org
www.arthurrankcentre.org.uk 13
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32