Dean was in and out of prison for 10 years before Blue Sky gave him the chance to change his life by offering him a job. With Blue Sky's help, he is now planning for a future without crime.
In Dean's words:
I was a criminal. No one would give me a job -
before I found Blue Sky.
Crime was all around us when I was a kid. I didn't know any better.
It started off with small things when I was thirteen, but got
worse. I've done three prison sentences, 10 years in all. That's a
long time to be locked up.
It's grim being inside. It's poisonous. You're surrounded by
negativity and there's no support to prepare you for the outside.
You get conditioned to being a criminal. It becomes your identity
and it ain't easy to break that cycle.
I finished my last sentence in April 2009. It was scary to come out
after a long stretch. The world had changed and I had no clue where
to start. I was lost and confused to be honest. I wanted to get a
job and be normal, but deep down, I didn't really think that would
happen.
I had no ID, so I couldn't sign on. I was really struggling for
money. The worst thing was not being able to support my partner.
Things were really tough for us, but she stuck by me. The pressure
of having nothing was unbelievable.
Then I met Nora, at the Job Centre. She told me about Blue Sky. I
was completely gobsmacked that there was this organisation which
only hired people with criminal records. I was over the moon to get
a position with them. At that point things began to fall into
place.
The wage isn't huge, but it's better than a lot of jobs, and I
know that I've earned every penny. I've cut grass, trimmed hedges,
all sorts really. Some things I ain't liked doing, but I've done
them 'cos of everything Blue Sky has done for me. I put 100% into
everything. I've done courses and training, even got a driving
licence, and now I'm qualified to use pesticides and drive around
on a quad spraying weeds. It don't get much better than
that.
I'm the happiest I've ever been, even though things ain't always
easy. I had to get a new clutch for my car last week. It was hard
to get together the £250, but you know what, I enjoyed doing it
because I knew I'd done it honestly.
My partner is pregnant now. The thought of committing a crime sends
a shudder through me. I can't imagine being back in a cell, wasting
my life, but you know what, without Blue Sky, I probably would be
back there now. I can't be more grateful for the opportunity they
gave me.
I know it ain't everyone's dream to spray weeds for a living, but
if you think about where I started, it's amazing what I've done in
the last year. I've actually got something on my CV to be proud
of.
Now I can make real plans for our future, for the first time ever.
I really want more kids and to be a great dad, so I'm gonna work
harder, get more responsibility and earn more money. I can't
wait.
Read more about our work with Blue Sky
Philanthropic giving can be such a pleasure. I find that the more I give away, the richer I feel.
Dame Stephanie Shirley
UK Ambassador for Philanthropy 2009 - 2010