Welcome to Peter’s Home

Above is a collage image made up of drawings and pictures found on the walls of Peter’s home.

In the StoryWorks team here at C-Change, we often talk about what good support looks like. Obviously, for each person that we work for, this takes shape in entirely different and unique ways; just as it should be.  

And so, as we travelled along the M74 on a glorious May morning, our thoughts naturally turned to what we would encounter as we met up with Peter, in his own home, in Viewpark.  

As we walked up the path to Peter’s house, the first thing to strike us was the smell of freshly cut grass from his neat and well cared for front garden.   

There was no need to knock on the front door either, as we were greeted by two beaming smiles from Peter and his on duty Personal Development Worker, Robert who had come out to greet us. With handshakes and introductions out of the way, we were invited into Peter’s World.  

Entering the spotless living room, the first thing we encountered; almost a centrepiece, was a magnificent, wooden chessboard, complete with beautifully hand carved pieces. In the background, on the impressive LCD screen, an ‘Underworld’ live concert was playing – quite stimulating for even the most avid dance music fan at 11.30 in the morning.  

Our chat immediately turned to music and Peter explained that he was an enthusiastic music fan and has a wide, eclectic taste in music. If there was any doubt about his credentials, they were right in front of us in plain sight written all over his walls in coloured marker pen. The Cure, The Cult, Depeche Mode, Pink Floyd, The Chemical Brothers – you name them; there they were there for all to see. Eclectic? Certainly, Diverse? You bet! All namechecked in beautiful, meticulous handwriting.   

However, this was no ordinary graffiti. Much more of an art installation that one might find in the Tate Modern or a fancy New York gallery. It turns out that Peter enjoys writing on his walls and records his thoughts on an almost daily basis in vibrant coloured pens. And why not? They’re his walls after all!  

After coffee was served by Robert – who had told us some of his own story and amazing travels over the years, our attention inevitably turned to the chessboard…  

“Do you fancy a game?”, asked Scott our ‘game’ colleague. “I’d love to!”, was Peter’s reply, “Although I don’t get to play as much as I’d like to anymore.” A keen chess player in his youth, Peter began to tell us of his adventures through the years and his fondness for travel. He’s been as far as Sydney in Australia and was enthusiastically discussing his upcoming trip to Ibiza with two of his other Personal Development Workers, Zoe and Eleanor.  

All through our visit, Peter who has a keen sense of humour and a warm personality, kept punctuating the conversation with: “How lucky am I? I have a great life.”   

And so it seems – great support from a great team indeed.