David took part in the Y-Life course, a 12-week programme designed to develop self-esteem and confidence in some of Norwich's most damaged young people.
"Some of these young men have such chaotic lives that even the prospect of getting a job is a distant hope," says YMCA's Steve Ginn. "We take them to the Lake District for a week of team-building and sports activities, which is always an amazing experience. Some of them just can't cope with being away from their home territory; it's a real culture shock. But for those who get into it, it's something they never forget, and they come back to Norwich with a new outlook."
"It was a fantastic experience. I felt awake for the first time in years," says David.
His cannabis use dropped as he developed the desire to get up in the mornings
and get going. His fellow students soon became his close friends, the first people
he'd known for years whom he could actually call mates. "I'm still in touch
with most of them … great guys; we went through a lot together," he says.
Today, David is a bright-eyed young man who smiles widely as he talks about his profile of achievement, his health and safety award and a huge folder of work some 140 pages thick. And the presentation evening where they performed sketches and karaoke was magical. "My mum, my nan and my wife were all there. It was the first thing I'd done to make them proud in years."
