Christopher Leslie

In 2014 I was sentenced to 7 dears for conspiracy to supply drugs. This was my lowest point of my life, and from the first night I spent in a cell I decided I wanted to change my thinking which I knew then would have an impact on my life when I left prison. I had not studied since I was 15 and decided I would try education, as I knew it could help secure me a job on release. I was luckily enough to be granted a place at university whist in was in a D-cat, I used this opportunity to really look at the opportunities that were out there, and how I could use the education pathway to make the change I wanted to make. On release from jail in 2018, I was approached by a friend and mentor who asked would I be interested din setting up a community interest company. The main aim would be to support induvial leaving prison with self-employment, education, and transition advice. This was amazing as I always loved helping others that were in my shoes, and I would get to do this in a more professional way, along with having the title DIRECTOR. Fast forward 3 years, I am now a director of 2 successful CIC’s both in the CJS arena, along with a sole director of my own consultancy business and a trustee for a national prison charity. I suppose when you look back at my life, I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit, however I channeled it in a negative way. I was support into self-employment and have continual support ever since, and any success I have achieved the support I have received has been huge part. Its often said going to prison the lowest point of your life, I used it as a starting point to go up.