Who Dares Cares

Who Dares Cares received an award of £66,000 in September 2023 for their project About Turn which supports Veterans within the Criminal Justice System who are subject to a Community Payback Order with an unpaid work or other activity requirement.

A Community Payback Order is a sentence served in the community rather than prison and is designed to ensure that those who commit offences pay their dues to the communities they have harmed.

Who Dares Cares have worked in partnership with South Lanarkshire Council to support individuals subject to Community Payback Orders to undertake their Other Activity hours through discussion and activity sessions with Who Dares Cares. Feedback from these individuals has been positive, highlighting the benefits of being able to share experiences with others with a similar background. Many participants have then gone on to volunteer with the charity.

By January 2024, About Turn had engaged with 24 Veterans who are currently within the Criminal Justice system in South Lanarkshire and whose length of Service varies from 12 months to 22 years. Participants have learned new skills and have engaged with other agencies they didn’t know about before joining the project. All participants have seen improvements in mental and physical health.

“The About Turn experience is immediately and comfortably familiar as it is overseen and operated by a Veteran, Calum Macleod, with many years’ experience. The boss walks our walk and talks our talk. Without descending into too much flowery language, we are a band of brothers and sisters, with similar pasts, skills, experiences, problems and health complaints. Personally, from a landscape devoid of family, friends and support, I have found an empathetic, supportive team of friends and comrades through About Turn. It was, and is, precisely what I needed.” Quote from service user.

Who Dares Cares have received feedback from participants that this Service was much needed. Participants felt the lack of a support network and not knowing where to seek assistance meant their needs were often neglected in the past. This often led to self-medication with drugs and alcohol, which in turn led to a risk of reoffending About Turn has given them hope and a chance to break this cycle.

“I can’t thank Cammy and the guys enough, since leaving the Army I have been in and out of jail, served several non-custodial orders and thought that this was my life. Since attending About Turn I now have hope, looking to gain employment and prove my worth.” Quote from service user.

“[About Turn is] one of the best decisions I’ve made in a very long time as I am feeling more focused and positive with my outlook in life than I have in a very very long time… I firmly put all this recent progress in my life down to engaging with the “About Turn” course and “Who Dares Cares”. None of this would have been made possible without going onto the “About Turn” course…and I am a far better person for it now and I’m extremely grateful to Calum and his colleagues for giving me this opportunity.” Quote from Service User.