A Trees For Life work week with HARP Southend

HARP stands for the Homeless Action Resource Project, but it does a lot more than just running a drop in centre.  It’s aim is to give those that come through the system the opportunity to get a home, and make a dignified return to society.  Each year HARP sends a group of people, making their way through rehabilitation, to the highlands for a TFL work week.

All bar one of the group are male, mostly young lads.  Most have had some involvement with drugs, and some have got into trouble through drink.  It’s easy to assume that they are going to hate Scotland, not eat the food we’ve brought, and avoid doing any work if at all possible. If you thought this you’d be wrong.  Right from the start of the week the group help with unpacking the van, lighting the fire, and preparing meals.  One of the group has been a chef in a previous life, and the first meal of the week, following some grumbles about the vegetarian diet, goes down well.

Paul, the chef, is easy going and well mannered, and I find it hard to believe someone like him could find himself in a situation where he’d need to use HARP’s services.  And as the week goes on it seems obvious to me that most of these people’s lives have been driven by the circumstances that surround them, a set of events that has seen them end up in trouble in some way.  During conversations with pretty much all of them I find myself thinking that I like them and that I could be in their shoes if I’d been through the same things they had.  Except, that I’m not sure I would be where they are now, because I’m not sure I’d have the guts to have fought my way out of their story.

Anyway, this week turned out to be one of my favourite TFL weeks.  We managed to plant over 3700 trees in under four days; we had great food every night, despite the group’s initial reservations about the vegetarian diet; I tried acupuncture in the ears for the first time; we played card games and wink murder every night; and myself and Craig made everyone hold hands at least twice during the week!

I also had the opportunity to spend a lot of my time planting with Wayne, another great guy who’s outlook on life seems to have been moulded by his circumstances.  I’m not sure how many trees Wayne planted on the first day planting, as he seemed more interested in smashing up the dead wood on the hill.  On day two he and myself became a team, and planted 120 trees.  On planting day four we planted 150 trees, just in the morning.  I’m sure when Wayne gets back to Southend life’ll be the same for him as it was before his trip to Scotland, but I know that Wayne enjoyed his time in Scotland, and I feel pretty disappointed that I’m unlikely to ever see him again.

I focalised the week with Craig.  We’ve been meaning to get a week sorted together for some time, so that was good.  On our day off we walked Beinn Laith Mhor, which was a top day out, even if my waterproof trousers finally gave up being waterproof half way back to the van.

Finally, if you want to know more about HARP, then look at their web site http://www.harpsouthend.co.uk.  And if you want to know more about how people are changed by the situations that they find themselves in, then read a book called “The Lucifer Effect” by Philip Zimbardo.