My story is not especially inspirational and nor is it particularly unique, but it is precisely because it is such a common tale that charities such as Resurgo's Spear are so crucial when it comes to developing people within our local communities.

I was asked to leave sixth form back in 2010, after which my Dad had me work in his drafting office to avoid allowing me to be unemployed but as a result I never really went through the struggle of seeking employment. I worked at the office until September 2012 when my Dad placed me in an engineering apprenticeship -once again no effort required on my part beyond saying yes- to help advance my career. Unfortunately, I still didn't have the correct attitude for college life nor the motivation to succeed as this wasn't the life I chose and I was just going with what my Dad instructed -of course with my best interests in mind-, so within 4 months I left.

I quickly realized however that in the time since I left school, I had not needed to learn how to write a solid CV, how to sell myself or what I was even interested in doing as a career. I would look at jobs on the internet and see words I didn't understand or experience requirements I didn't meet and feel that as a result I didn't meet those criteria and therefore shouldn't apply. This attitude was helped by the fact that I didn't actually require an income, I had a place to live, a family to cover my upkeep and food, and all the avenues of procrastination I needed.

It therefore became easier and easier to do nothing and therefore harder to do anything, I’d wake up in the afternoon, play a computer game or watch tv and speak to friends via instant messaging applications or phone, eat then sleep. If I did ever need money I could do a bit of work at my dad's cafe or go to the job centre for JSA. Whenever I considered my future and whether I could do this forever, I felt a pang of apprehension and would protect myself from it by procrastinating further.

I lived this way for 2 solid years until I came across Spear in 2015. At this point I had done a few programmes with the job centre and was just beginning to find the will to actually do something with my life, but in all this time it only really amounted to the odd job application and college open days. I was in the job centre when a coach asked if I would be interested in the course and I have to admit while part of me was motivated to try new things, another significant part was thinking of it as an excuse to not have to attend the job centre for 6 weeks.

I realise now that despite my reasoning this was the best decision I made in my entire life. The spear course gave me confidence in the skills that I possessed, often times highlighting them to me, but also helping me to expand beyond my comfort zone. The inspirational coaches that worked with us as a group as well as individually provided constant encouragement and constructive feedback, so we could improve upon our understanding. I don't like a lot of attention, I don't like cameras pointed at me or to be in the spotlight, I am a naturally quiet person, yet by the end I was speaking in front of 100 or so strangers about the cycle of development, I was making connections with new people and even helping to lead in some group activities. Beyond the course, I was able to deliver a speech at my Dad's funeral, which I suspect I would have shied away from otherwise, likely to my eternal regret.

When the course was over they didn't just forget about us either. I was able to attend every Thursday to search for jobs and speak to the coaches, which gave me a routine and something to actually look forward to in my day to day life that made it feel like I was progressing. I also began to intensively apply for jobs, finally getting over the fear that 'I couldn't do it'. I went from a couple of job applications a year, to exhausting the list of admin vacancies on job boards within a couple of months.

Finally, only 2 months after completing the course, I found employment within Manpower UK. Fortunately, the CV I developed with Spear proved strong enough to secure me an interview and the interview practice we had done proved to be effective in securing me the job. I am proud to still be in employment with Manpower 3 years down the line, and I have never stopped using the lessons learned at Spear.

This walk is an opportunity for me to give something back that's real, spear works with not only people like myself who simply lost their way due to lack of confidence and discipline, but also those who have to deal with hurdles such as a criminal record, drug use and dependent family members. It's a charity that gives young people a second chance to be a part of society of again and with 75% of those who find employment remaining in work a year later, it's clear to me that spear provides not only guidance but a foundation for young people to build off and refer to even once they find work.

I hope what I am doing here is able to raise awareness for this fantastic charity and I hope you are able to donate to this cause.

Thank you.