Jo’s story demonstrates how all our programmes can combine to offer participants support and opportunities for every area of their lives.

He seized every opportunity given to him; first working in our HMP Academies, then moving into our residential programme and volunteering in our community workshop and food redistribution centre, before progressing into our ACE team.

Jo* is one of our support workers. He mentors, advises and advocates for people who want to overcome histories of homelessness, addiction, offending or trauma. He’s well-liked and trusted by the men and women we support, able to easily relate to people. His bright smile and warm approach help. But it runs deeper, too.

“Because I’ve got a background of suffering with my mental health, with drug and alcohol addiction, being homeless, and being in and out of prison, I can relate to people and people can relate to me,” he explains.

It’s in his nature and something Jo passed down to his son too, who is also a support worker, for young adults with learning disabilities: “It was my son who wanted me to come to Recycling Lives. He was only 17 – he didn’t want me to fall back into my old way of life.”

So when he was released, in 2023  Jo moved into our residential facility. He’d already been working in our workshop in HMP Buckley Hall:“I wanted the structure that RL offers, as well as the support.

“The thing about the residential is, it’s a lovely environment, you’ve got all your food, it’s spotless, but it’s the staff what make the place. You want boss people like that around you.”

While settling in Jo volunteered in our community-based recycling workshop, offering some continuity from the prison-based workshop he’d already worked in, before moving over to volunteer at the Food Redistribution Centre.

After fully settling into the residential programme, Jo started completing courses online and in-person – “Safeguarding, Information Advice & Guidance, Mental Health First Aid, Understanding Challenging Behaviour, those kinds of things,” – and volunteering alongside our ACE team.

“All the services what I’ve accessed over 30 years, all the staff would say, ‘you’d be great at this’. And that’s what I do now as a Key Worker.

“I take my responsibilities seriously now. I’ve got my own place and I love the peace and quiet of it.  I love coming to work, too. I’ve got purpose.”

Read Jo’s story in full in our latest Impact Report – download your copy here.

*Not his real name. To protect privacy, picture above shows our Head of Programmes, Dave.