Leo Powell has swapped a lifetime of partying and dealing drugs to helping younger folks who are on troubled paths.
Now Leo splits his time between mentoring teenage pupils at a North London college, preventing in opposition to county line drug dealing gangs and supporting these in Feltham Young Offender Institution.
But up till 11 years in the past he was in a really completely different scenario.
“When I used to be younger, I received concerned in some issues, I began smoking drugs, experimenting in a number of issues and dealing drugs,” Leo mentioned.
“I wasn’t in a gang however I had been round folks who have been in gangs and I used to be uncovered to violence.
“My life wasn’t that unhealthy, I simply took some routes I should not have taken but when I didn’t take these, possibly I would not be the place I’m in the present day.”
The turning level got here when he began going to church and his religion led him to grow to be a youth employee to use his personal experiences to information others out of violent conditions.
He added: “My life rotated after I went to church, I went down a special route. Numerous the younger folks I’ve helped are now aged 25 or 26 and are doing rather well.”
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His anti-drug coaching mannequin is used throughout the nation
Leo has a mentoring function helping 14 and 15 yr olds as head of Year 10 at St Ignatius College, in Enfield and in addition trains mother and father and people in positions of duty to recognise and method younger folks who could also be uncovered to violence and crime.
He additionally visits different main and secondary faculties to put on roleplay workshops to make children conscious of the risks of drugs.
Leo created his coaching mannequin two years in the past and has been endorsed by The Prince’s Trust and The Children’s Society.
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‘Being a non-teaching head of yr permits me to have extra of a presence’
Before turning into head of yr, Leo labored as a pastoral assist officer for 4 days per week at St Ignatius College.
A job alternative got here up at the college and Leo was provided a non-teaching function as head of yr.
“It permits me to have extra of a presence with my yr group,” he defined.
“I can construct extra relationships with younger folks and households and that is paramount to getting the finest out of your younger folks.”
Step Back
Step Back is Leo’s producer debut
(Image: SilkyGFX)
Leo has additionally discovered time to produce a movie about knife crime.
‘Step Back’, a criminal offense drama about teenager Marcus (Xavien Russell: Top Boy, Small Axe) who fatally stabs somebody, was launched in February this yr.
It has gained the assist of the Metropolitan Police and has had greater than 750,000 views on YouTube to this point. It could be watched right here.
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Detective Chief Superintendent Treena Fleming says: “This movie is a robust reminder of the tragic penalties of carrying a knife each for the sufferer and the perpetrator.
“We need folks to watch Step Back and perceive that being concerned in gangs and arming your self with a knife fairly actually ruins knives.”
The movie was partly impressed by the younger folks Leo meets each day and his work with younger offenders at Feltham Young Offender Institution.
He says: “I considered the story as I used to be driving to jail, it’s primarily based upon a few of my experiences and different folks’s.”
Xavien Russell performs Marcus in Step Back
(Image: Tobi Tobz)
‘People get groomed by a sure way of life’
Leo believes younger folks in the present day admire gang members and the way of life they lead as there’s a “stress” to attain the similar aesthetics.
“People get groomed by a sure way of life, the tradition is sort of a stress cooker, you may have to be cool and put on the nicest garments,” he added.
He says visible storytelling engages younger folks about points affecting them and hopes Step Back can begin a dialogue.
Marcus (Xavien Russell) in Step Back
(Image: Tobi Tobz)
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Leo has issues that youth violence will improve as lockdown restrictions ease.
“Realistically, violence won’t ever cease, gangs won’t ever cease, county traces won’t ever cease,” he mentioned.
“But we will cut back it, we will convey an enormous quantity of change in our communities.”
Step Back will probably be screened alongside Leo’s workshops in Enfield and Haringey from subsequent week, he hopes to produce one other movie in the future.
Hear extra about Leo’s story right here.
