The Scheme (Scotland)

[AgentProvocateur]

The scheme is on again tonight. Episodes 1 and 2 this week, then the pulled episodes next week. I've got my judgy pants on!

[AgentProvocateur]

Is there a studio discussion about it tonight, or did I imagine that?

[expatinscotland]

Poor Dana. From what I've read, she spent most of her life in care. It's like she never had much of a chance besides prison and drugs.

[AgentProvocateur]

I do feel sorry for dayna. She seems very vulnerable. It would be great is she and Marvin could move away for a completely new start, somewhere they won't have "celebrity" status. Girls asking to be photographed with him were making her feel really insecure.

Kerry is as hard as nails. Frighteningly so. Bet she's had a shit life to make her like that at such a young age. It's all a bit sad and depressing.

[expatinscotland]

Kerry is very hard, but in a lot of ways, I found her funny and likeable. It was said all three had a 'chaotic' childhood. Perhaps she had to be a survivor.

Dayna deserves so much more from life than drugs and prison. I hope she finds it, and if that's with Marvin for now, then I hope that's so.

[NettoSuperstar]

Crap, I missed it tonight, I was reading DD a story!
Really!

I'm about to move to a scheme, and I'm trying to take it in my stride, as it's going to happen, but deep down, I'm terrified.

[expatinscotland]

Don't be, Netto. I live in sort of one. I can't say I've found so many so understanding, tbh.

As many know here, I've struggled with mental health issues for a while (depression).

But all I had to do was tell folks, IYKWIM.

We came here, too, via the homeless route after our private landlord returned from abroad to occupy his house and we couldn't get anyone to take three kids and partial housing benefit at the time.

It was hard and really stressful, going through that. For a long time, I wasn't willing to be who I am, I was afraid of who I was, because people paint out people who live on estates or council as just a bunch of low lives a lot.

That's not true, mostly. Some are, yeah, but you get beyond that and IME, most of the time, they're willing to reign things in if you tell them where you're coming from, IYKWIM.

It's just now, now I've been able, to start getting it to be a real home for us.

But you know, it beats the shit out of being homeless and the insecurity of private let when you're on the breadline as it is.

:) Lemme know where you end up, might have to do a little scheme-jumping for a visit :o.

[NettoSuperstar]

You make me smile

I'll be fine, I know I will, I just wish it'd happen quickly.
I tell myself that we'll be settled by Christmas.
I hope so.

[expatinscotland]

If it's the council I'm thinking of, you most likely will be. Might even make it out this way. :) Can't say that's all bad, as it's just a building, not an estate, there's no real such thing out here.

It's better than a lot of places I can reel off by name for sure. The schools are good, and there's no such big divide, between the rich and the poor, as all that are even remotely what one might consider rich (and I don't think they much would be by most standards in the UK) are old and dependent on younger for all, so there's a fair amount of equality I can't say I've elsewhere experienced in the UK, which outside of Edinburgh is none, so take that how you will.

Believe me, I can think of and have lived in far, far worse.

[NettoSuperstar]

Yep, it's that council.
I got a letter from their offices out where you are this morning!

The scheme will be Kirkmichael, which isn't great, but my friend knows a lot of ways of making the system work for you.
Not in any way cheating it, to be clear, but not accepting the horrid places they try and make you live in.

She got the MP involved a few years back and got what she was entitled to.

I can't live anywhere damp, or high flats with no lifts because of my asthma, and I know my GP will back me on that one.
In fact, he tells me to get the hell away from the west coast of Scotland, because the asthma stats here are dire.

So long as it's dry and low, and I can get DD to school, then it'll be fine, and the rent will be cheaper than here and I'll have life long security, which is a good thing.

It's the uncertainty that's killing me atm.

[LauraHush]

I live in Glasgow, and I cringe when I watch this programme, but at the same time I can't look away. Episode 4 was pretty harrowing though, where you see the guy injecting drugs - eek!! I think TheCrackFox is right - Kay really is damaging her own kids and doesn't seem to even realise it.

[Chummybud1]

I lived in Scotland, have relatives in Kilmarnock and know it very well. Not everyone is like these people, but there are plenty of them. It's pack and parcel of living in built up communities that there is going to be people like that. However in no way should it be portrayed as normal or acceptable and that this is scheme life. A large percentage of the population of Britain lives in schemes, they work, bring their kids up well, keep their houses nice, but who really wants to watch them on telly. My concerns over this particular programme is, I am assuming the junkies were paid to appear, that the money is now lining the dealers pockets. I feel sorry for the good people of east Ayrshire and anyone who thinks all people who live in scheme live like that are bigger dafties than those in the show and the next fly on the wall should be on how thick and gullible they are.

[OldLadyKnowsNothing]

No-one who appeared in The Scheme was paid.

[Chummybud1]

Sorry just an assumption that they would have been paid.