How many of us venture off Leith Walk for a wander through Bonnington Estate ? Not many I would guess, and yet in there you will find a wealth of social-work relate d firms and charities. One of these is Apex Scotland, who work in partnership with other organisations to deliver emplo yability services to exoffenders and young people at risk. At their offices, on Jane Street you can receive advice on a one to one basis, work on your computer skills, and improve your literacy and numeracy. You can even learn to ‘Think Again’.

Carolyn is the author of 6 articles including 'Think Again' from April's Leither

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‘Think Again’ is a ten week programme – run by Apex in partnership with Napier University – that aims to help exoffenders or young people at risk improve their skills and boost their confidence. It also encourages them to move on to education, training or employment.

The course covers self esteem, addictions, photography, art, creative writing, teambuilding and much more. Advice is available for those with a criminal record and practical help is offered on the job-seeking side of things.

The most recent course, which finished in March, was funded by the Willow Project and was for women only. On their graduation day, the students showcased their paintings, collages and creative writing talents to friends and relatives. The photographs for this article were taken by two of the students, Deirdre and Caroline, who also wrote the following Pen Portraits of each other as part of the creative writing module. The next course, which will also be all-female, will begin at the end of April/ beginning of May. If you are interested in the Think Again Programme or any of the Apex services, call Hildegard or Pauline on 467 8300 for a chat.