‘NURTURING lads by empowering Dads’ is the aim of a Redditch charity that celebrated its launch alongside Sam Branson, son of business magnate Sir Richard Branson, last week.
Boys2Men, which has existed for six years under the umbrella of the town’s YMCA, gained its status as an independent charity in September 2015 but Friday (March 4) saw its official launch at Matchborough’s Christ Church.
Sam was on hand as guest speaker and shared with the audience his love of adventure.
“Use every experience in life as a learning opportunity,” he urged, before passing the microphone to fellow speaker, ex-London gang-member Karl Lokko, billed by Sam as the ‘most inspiring person’ he had ever met.
Karl captivated the hall with stories of his life as a Brixton gang-member, including how a friend was stabbed by his side, and how he finally managed to break free.
And he reinforced the need for conversation among boys and their father figures.
“Life is traumatic, I dealt with those traumas by myself,” he said.
“We are living in an era that’s meant to be connective but we are disconnected – there is a need for role models. We did have them but they were the drug dealers.”
Boys2Men was the inspiration of Phil Williams, a community worker employed by Christ Church Community Project and based in Matchborough.
Phil and his team now work with boys aged 11 to 14 and their fathers, grandfathers or uncles on an initiative which includes trust-building activities such as camping, canoeing, climbing.
Thanks to relationships with Ipsley RSA Academy, Walkwood Church of England Middle School, Birchensale Middle School and Church Hill Middle School, the team are put in direct contact with boys who can benefit from working with Boys2Men.
The charity has received backing from Steve Bennett, CEO of The Genuine Gemstone Company, who shared his own experiences during the launch event, and is supported by the group’s The Colourful Life Foundation.
Visit http://fatherfigures.org/ to find out more.
