We’ve been working with The University Of Leeds to help develop ‘Stuart: A Life Cycle’ – a research-based drama about the criminal justice system.

We took a group of volunteers and beneficiaries to watch the live performance -which was produced by a group of theatre and performance students at The University of Leeds, who worked with Ally Walsh from the School of Performance and Cultural Industries.

The performance considers Stuart’s story – childhood, influences and the difficulties of desisting from crime when addiction is involved, and invite the audience to discuss the performance afterwards in a Q&A session.

The University of Leeds has been working with partners in the criminal justice sector. WY-FI is one of the lead partners. Other lead partners are Life Experience, Leeds Magistrate’s Court and the probation service.

A group of WY-FI beneficiaries recently spent a day on a canal barge in West Yorkshire.

After being shown how to operate the barge and the waterways, the group sailed from Hebden Bridge to Luddenfoot and back again, covering seven miles of waterway and five locks.

Sharon Booth, WY-FI Administrator in Calderdale said, “it was an amazing team building experience for everyone. Some of our beneficiaries had never been on a barge before either, so it was a completely new experience for them.

“Everyone had their roles: sailors; navigators; and lock operators, and we all worked together and supported each other”.

Sharon added, “we’ve created memories for our beneficiaries that will last a lifetime”.

WY-FI understands the value of meaningful activities. WY-FI Navigators take the time to really get to know beneficiaries and help them identify new, more meaningful ways to spend their time. Re-building a life with meaning is key to recovering from the impacts of Homelessness, Addiction, Re-offending and Mental Health.

Recently we shared a snippet of Brendan’s inspiring journey, describing how he’s broken a 32 year-long cycle of re-offending and started building a more meaningful life.

Here’s Brendan’s full story, which shows just how far he’s come since he started working with his WY-FI Navigator in Calderdale.

Read Brendan’s inspiring story here