Colin's Story

Colin’s life had 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 Colin 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 found himself living in an area which had a reputation for hard drugs and crime.

Colin’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, Colin managed to be stabilised on a methadone programme. The same agency referred him to the Grassmarket Community Project, where he joined the Greyfriars Recycling of Wood (GRoW) project.  At the GRoW project, trainee volunteers transform unwanted church pews into beautiful, bespoke pieces of furniture.  It is one of several new mini-businesses being planned or established by the Grassmarket Community Project to provide work, training and enhanced life opportunities for people who have had long term social exclusion. 

After an initial meeting with the workshop manager, Colin began volunteering at the project. He quickly realised that this kind of structure is what had been lacking in his life. Colin 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.

However, Colin did have a setback at one point when he succumbed to the pressures of having to move accommodation. At this difficult time he started using heroin once again. To support Colin through this period, the GRoW workshop manager worked closely with his support worker and his doctor to determine the best way forward. This was a challenging time for all involved but Colin has come through the worst of it and is now once again stable on his methadone and back involved in the project

He is a great ambassador for the Grassmarket Community Project and he is always keen to speak to visitors. Colin 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.

Community Enterprise are pleased to have worked with the Grassmarket Community Project over a number of years, and we are excited to be supporting the organisation through its future business development ambitions. 

For more information about the work we are doing with the Grassmarket Community Project, contact Douglas, Jackie or visit their website:   www.grassmarketcommunityproject.co.uk