Tim’s childhood was dominated by the negative forces of neglect, poverty, abuse and violence. These influences turned a once happy and cute little boy into an introverted and troubled youngster who began stealing at the age of 10, leading to his first introduction with the police.
Question, Can a Leopard change its Spots?
Tim is a proficient school speaker and is a ‘Lived Experience Speaker’ with the ‘Leeds united Football Club’ foundation.
So what was the quantitive impact Tim had in 2023? He has spoken directly to well over 6,100 young adults in high schools across the Yorkshire region - and further afield. Holding ‘Prevention & Intervention’ workshops for the schools - focusing on the consequences of Drug use/addiction, gang affiliation and knife crime. Also specialising in workshops around a British Law called ‘Joint Enterprise’ - which many or most of our young adults are not aware of, and the devastating effects of laughing gas.
Tim has the support and backing of some of the prisons he works in to use real life stories (appropriately disguised) in the schools that he works with, backed up by photographic evidence, to show the stark reality of prison life and the devastating long term consequences.
He has spoken to much smaller groups in Alternative Provision schools, approximately 200 students have attended these groups this last year, where Tim has constantly demonstrated the unique ability to keep the students interested, engaged and interactive during the varied sessions. Over the last year, Tim has held sessions with over 1,100 inmates across our prison estates. These prisoners range from adult Males & Females, youth offenders and serious child offenders aged 14 upwards. He has also spent time with groups of year heads, SMT’s and spent a day with all the head teachers from a district in Yorkshire.
Q. So what qualifies this man to have such a powerful voice into the lives of others?
Tim’s childhood was dominated by the negative impact of neglect, poverty, sexual abuse and violence in the home. These destructive influences turned a once happy and cute little boy into an introverted and very troubled youngster, who began stealing at a very young age, leading to his first run-in with the police aged just 10 years old. Despite the many ACE’s Tim suffered in his early years, he was a bright child who began his year 7 at high school in ‘above average sets’ with so much academic potential. But, naively, he started running around with a gang, dis-engaged with his studies and after 3 suspensions was finally expelled from school - with no qualifications to his name. Tim’s criminal convictions escalated during his Teen years, and ultimately led to him being sent to an adult prison on his 17th birthday for a total of 9 years & 9 months - for gang related criminal activities. Tim’s process of decline continued from there - prison introducing him to hard drugs, and extreme violence and upon his release, Tim entered into 8, long and painful years running with the gangs. These years were filled with violence & criminal activities, party drugs & drug dealing which culminated in a ‘mainlining heroin addiction’ - almost costing him his life on numerous occasions. Adding to all the mental, physical and emotional pain that he endured daily, the traumatic memories Tim battled with - that he had fathered two children at the age of 15 and 22, yet he had little or no contact in their lives because of his personal lifestyle choices - constantly drove him to despair & dangerous forms of escapism. The destructive power of his choices had taken an emerging adult, with a high IQ for his age - and turned him into Yorkshire’s most wanted Heroin dealer in a little over 10 years. He had decayed into a 27 year old manic depressant, addicted to injecting heroin up to 10 times a day, who battled police arrest & gang violence daily and constant suicidal thoughts. He couldn’t see a way out - Death seemed like the best solution.
All that changed 25 years ago. After hitting rock bottom & narrowly surviving one of his many overdoses, Tim determined that he didn’t want to die, he wanted to live and so he began to fight for his life & freedom. He chose to enter a rehab programme, engaged with and got support from the staff there and began to develop new skills and ways of thinking - one of the most important being, that Tim began to believe that he wasn’t born by mistake and that he could live a life of success. It was here that he began to develop a new set of emotional health and work skills that would go on to support him in his new chosen life. He quickly learnt and understood this absolute truth ...... That ‘Recovery’ is only truly built on the foundation of Purpose So what does Tim’s life look like today? After staying at the rehab in south Wales for three and a half years - a year as a resident and the remaining time as a staff member supporting other residents in their recovery journey - he returned to Yorkshire to continue rebuilding his life. He has now been married for 20 years, with two children - 16 & 13, and has successfully worked to reconcile the relationships with his two older children - who are now aged 37 & 30. The son that he had fathered when he was in his teens to another teen, had been given up for adoption and Tim didn’t see him for the next 25 years...... but that’s another story...
He went back to college for five years whilst in his thirties and re- educated himself in construction skills - up to HNC level, becoming a successful construction business owner, house builder and achieving other life successes that once upon a time, could only be dreamed of. Over the last fifteen years, Tim has been publicly speaking - primarily in high schools - but also to youth groups and working in over ten prison establishments across the north of England - telling his life story of change and transformation to adult Male & female inmates, youth offenders and often holding workshops with child offenders as young as 14. He discusses and demonstrates that positive change is a very real possibility, talking through the challenges of change and openly advocating the benefits of education; intending to lay a foundation of hope in adults or young peoples minds on which they can build, re build or change the direction of their lives. He also speaks honestly about the dangers of drugs, gang affiliation and knife crime as well as the associated consequences involved. Tim passionately works to tear down the lie and myths surrounding gang affiliation, drug/substance use and crime, not wanting to see anyone, especially our young adults making the same destructive choices as he did. He expertly communicates with confidence, appropriate humour and honesty, and uses any or every part of his former and current life story as a warning to others - whilst demonstrating that positive change is possible to those who have started down the path of decline, where Tim once walked. “He has the personality, experience and authenticity to speak to small groups, entire year groups, teachers, SMT staff, and on a few occasions - in an auditorium filled with a 1000+ people. Tim has received a ‘British Citizen Award’ in recognition for his exceptional contribution to society and being an inspiration to other British citizens. He is the author of the book “The Leopard That Changed It’s Spots”. So far, 12,000 copies have been printed and sold/distributed in schools & prisons, Police custody suites & youth organisations, and amongst everyday readers - winging its way to all five continents. He has spoken on multiple radio stations, had newspaper articles written about him and shared his life story on a television programme.
So, the answer to the former question - Leopards can change their Spots.
West Yorkshire
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