Luke’s upbringing was marked by turbulence, living with an abusive father who is now serving time in prison for multiple violent crimes. This experience affected Luke in many ways and left him feeling scared, isolated and very anxious about going outside. This in turn impacted on Luke’s experience of school which was also challenging. Whilst Luke’s childhood friend was initially a great support and made school life bearable, things took a turn when the friend relocated to a different country. Luke then struggled to connect with anyone other than immediate family and consequently missed a lot of school.
In 2018 at the age of 17, Luke sought the support of YMCA West Kent. Initially very quiet and reserved, he was determined to engage with the training programmes on offer, and with the guidance of a mentor, studied English and maths as well as customer service and upcycling training. Luke was gradually integrated into working life at YMCA West Kent’s furniture store. He began to flourish and with growing confidence, was soon offered the job of van assistant. Over time, Luke took on more tasks and responsibilities in the store and became a pivotal member of the retail team.
Luke’s progression has continued and he has recently completed Health & Safety and PAT testing courses. He is now a very capable full-time Retail Assistant and able to deputise in the manager’s absence when needed. Luke’s transformation is evident; once timid, Luke is now outgoing, self-assured, and adept at customer interactions. His fears and anxiety around going outside have now disappeared.
Luke is a real asset to YMCA. He is highly intelligent, and would one day love to pursue his dream job of joining the Police force. His positive influence extends to his younger brother, who has recently joined the YMCA West Kent team and has also grown in many ways since.
More recently, Luke has been been crowned winner of the prestigious Young Achiever of the Year Award at this year’s Youth Matters Awards. Winning this award reflects Luke’s exceptional commitment, resilience, and the profound impact he has had within West Kent and beyond. This award celebrates the remarkable contributions of young individuals who, like Luke, inspire us all to strive for a better, stronger community. We are proud of Luke and are excited to see his journey continue.
