A group of Handcrafted trainees having a discussion in a cafe

Our Trainees

Handcrafted aims to empower those who have been disadvantaged or faced social exclusion due to crime, alcohol or substance abuse, poor mental or physical health, unemployment, or having experienced abuse or been in the care system.

We work with individuals to help them make positive steps to turn their lives around, be part of a community and start to give back. We welcome everyone into our community, regardless of background, and help them see the value they bring.

Individuals that engage with us and use our services are referred to as trainees, as opposed to beneficiaries or service users. This is part of our approach of encouraging self-worth and empowerment.

Testimonials

There are countless challenges and barriers between our Fairchance service users and a healthy, productive and satisfying life.

We often use the term ‘chaotic lifestyle’ to describe the multitude of issues they face, and we contrast this lifestyle with an ideal that is secure, positive, stable and fulfilling. Often people looking in on the lifestyles of our service users find them intimidating, disorientating and full of risk – it should be no surprise that the same is true the other way around. For our service users who are looking into employment, education and stable accommodation, what they often see is a very unfamiliar culture and environment that they are unable to navigate.

Handcrafted helps to bridge this gap. It’s a middle ground between work and leisure where our service users are building confidence, self-esteem, working relationships, responsibilities, a sense of achievement. As a natural consequence of this and armed with the skills necessary to make this transition our service users are developing goals and ambitions and making plans for the futures that they are beginning to see as a reality for themselves.

Joe K, Fair Chance Project, Oasis Aquila Housing