Inverness-based charity, New Start Highland has been granted £210,000 from the Garfield Weston Foundation which will allow more people to embark upon its supported work placement program than ever before.
Every year the social enterprise works with almost 1,500 families and individuals experiencing vulnerability in a range of ways including providing practical work experience and qualifications which help them achieve employment. These volunteer and placement opportunities help people learn key life skills and build friendships when they’re feeling stuck, be it because of mental health issues, loneliness or social isolation.
James Dunbar, chief executive of New Start Highland, said: “We are very proud of our supported placement program, which helps break down barriers to personal progression. Currently there is an unprecedented need for this type of support service. It is delivered by a brilliant mix of employees, trainers, mentors and peers.
“We have seen real transformations in the people who have completed placements with us, whether they’ve been working in our gardens, workshops, warehouses, shops or offices. We are hugely grateful for this funding which will allow us to continue these placements so more people can learn skills and gain confidence which enable them to start their journey towards a brighter future.”
Mary-Anne Morrison was referred to New Start Highland by her occupational therapist and has never looked back. She said: “New Start Highland has saved me. Without these gardens and these people, I would not be anywhere near where I have got to in my recovery journey. I am forever grateful, my family will be forever grateful. I have my life back, I have purpose, I have balance and I don’t just have colleagues, I have true friends.”
Neil Davidson, who volunteers in the Gardens and in the joinery workshop, echoed Mary Anne’s sentiment. He said: “The support and sense of community for people from different backgrounds is second to none here. I just don’t know where I’d be if I didn’t have the sense of purpose to come in each day and be part of the team. Over the years I’ve come to realise that in life, people need community to be able to thrive. They need a connection to nature. The New Start Highland Gardens provide both and when combined, they can be pretty powerful and life changing.”
The charity has five retail outlets located in Inverness, Thurso and Dingwall with exciting expansion plans on the horizon. Last year alone, the shops, which provide low and no cost furniture and household items, saw a footfall of over 80,000 people. All items instore have been diverted from landfill, benefitting not only the climate but thousands of families as they build a safe and comfortable home.
Profits from New Start Highland’s various enterprise activities, which include removals, storage and house clearances, are reinvested back into the organisation, to help fund its charitable services.
Over the last year, the charity has served the Highland community over 103,000 times. 9,000 items have been diverted from landfill and 540 furniture packs have been distributed. In the past month, 265 households have been supported maintaining a tenancy.
To find out how you can get involved with New Start Highland, please visit newstarthighland.org
Volunteer Case Studies
Mary-Anne Morrison, 49
Mary-Anne Morrison had been on extended sick leave, when her occupational therapist recommended she contact New Start Highland to explore volunteering opportunities.
She started a supported placement at the New Start Highland Gardens where she has spent three days a week for the past two years and she’s never looked back. She said:
“Without these gardens and these people, I would not be anywhere near where I have got to in my recovery journey. I am forever grateful, my family will be forever grateful. I have my life back, I have purpose, I have balance and I don’t just have colleagues, I have true friends.”
The New Start Highland Gardens are managed by two members of staff and run by a team of 15 volunteers. These are people who have gone through all sorts of challenging life experiences and the Gardens provide them with a restorative environment to reap the benefits of collective growing. They exist to prevent social isolation, improve mental health and ease loneliness.
Mary-Anne had an incredibly stressful, corporate job for many years which resulted in a traumatic breakdown, a brain injury and subsequent issues. She cites being in the gardens as the reason she is now free from suffering thanks to the connections she makes with those around her. She talks about the friends she’s made being friends for life.
“We always look out for each other.” She said: “We’re all going through or have been through something painful and if someone isn’t themselves, one of us will know to pull that person aside and subtly check up on them. We’re always keeping an eye on one another, we’re like a close family.”
And the Gardens provides the perfect backdrop. With the fresh breeze, singing birds and growing seedlings, there is a strong sense of hope in the air, for new starts and brighter futures.
Neil Davidson
Neil has had a passion for nature, building and creating since he left school in Aberdeen. Being on a supported work placement with New Start Highland is equipping him with tools, skills and experiences to achieve his dream of one day creating a communal living community in the Highlands where people can benefit from sustainable, self sufficient living.
After several years of living off grid and experiencing homelessness which saw him sleeping rough in cities across Scotland, he landed in Inverness. At the Job Centre he had a conversation with his work coach about his future aspirations and was pointed in the direction of New Start Highland. The rest, as they say, is history.
In Neil’s time at New Start he’s volunteered in the New Start Highland Gardens and spends a day a week in the joinery workshop, learning all the tricks of the trade. He fixes up furniture, prepares pieces for upcycling, ready to be sold by New Start’s sister brand Unique Ness, and works closely with the workshop manager who has been with the organisation for over ten years.
Neil said: “The support and sense of community for people from different backgrounds is second to none here. I just don’t know where I’d be if I didn’t have the sense of purpose to come in each day and be part of the team. Over the years I’ve come to realise that in life, people need community to be able to thrive. They need a connection to nature. The New Start Highland Gardens provide both and when combined, they can be pretty powerful and life changing.”
For those on supported placements there are routes of progression both within and outwith the organisation. There are several employees at the company who started out as volunteers. Neil, who is a natural outdoor person, has now also come to enjoy his time in the joinery workshop and one day hopes to progress within the organisation when the opportunity arises. He said:
“I am fully on board with New Start Highland and its values. It’s an organisation that doesn’t judge. It accepts people for who they are and the potential they have. It’s such a supportive network and I’m proud to be part of it.”
Aaron Close, 26
Aaron, from Inverness, started volunteering for New Start Highland in 2015 as a shy 16-year-old. He had dropped out of his college course after struggling with his time keeping and interpersonal skills.
Aaron always had a passion for bikes and so decided to channel his interest by joining New Start Highland’s bike project as a volunteer and later became a permanent member of staff. From an unsettled, uncertain future, Aaron, now 26, is much more optimistic about what lies ahead.