It all started when…
Currently Justin is the Co-Founder & COO @ Alliance of Sport in Criminal Justice CIO (AoS), he oversees the operations of the ever growing AoS Community, collectively utilising Sport/Activity for Development (Sport for Good) to increase physical, mental, social well-being and generate proactive and prosocial citizens. Please see www.allianceofsport.org for more.
He also volunteers for organisations of sincere personal and professional interest - such as Kings College London's, Violence, Abuse and Mental Health Network where he is humbled to be a Lived Experience Advisor. This gives him the opportunity to positively use his complex trauma and abuse suffered as a child, along with his experience of the subsequent legal action through to conviction, to help others. For further information please review - VAMHN https://www.vamhn.co.uk/lived-experience-advisory-group.html
He specialises in Criminal Justice, Systemic, Whole Person Case Management, Psychosocial Development, Whole System Transitions and Partnership - between the participants of services, the staff delivering them, organisations and cross sectors. He has received national & international recognition for programmes, services, research and collaborations that he has designed, developed & delivered via multi-agency and cross sector approaches. For example, he received Best Practice Recognition from HM Inspectors for work with Long Term Persons in 2003, and was awarded Prison Officer of the Year 2009, for working with young people. More recently, being a part of the team that won the Beyond Sport Award in New York in 2017.
Justin describes himself as 'constantly learning', doing this through many platforms, local, national & international, via valued individuals, organisations and wider whole person networks. This enables him to stay on top of 'What Works' in, around and through complex community settings - this knowledge base and experience is from over 2 decades of pro-activity and for the whole life-course of Whole Person Approach. Having been trained by, worked for & with, leading experts, academics and practitioners - he is always grateful and utilises their grounding to stay focused, humble and dedicated to proactivism, his lived experience of turbulent childhood. The lack of consistent prosocial adult influences and people has driven his confident focus in the approaches required to make a sustainable and proactive difference in our society.
“Time and time again is proving to be the absolute definition of ‘Golf for Good’. ”
Justin says: "When working in HMP/YOI Ashfield many, many years ago - I was fortunate enough to work with the Kendleshire Golf Club, which was the most open and inclusive golf club I had ever come across. It is true to say that golf has a reputation of being exclusive, expensive and executive and does not often lend its unique engagement ability to reach disadvantaged and complex lives and hard to reach communities. Kendleshire, even back then, when working with the Young Offenders Institute, worked with young people who needed a chance to prove they had reformed by offering them ground keeping and support opportunities at the club.
Fast forward over a decade and Kendleshire Golf Club is still being as open and inclusive as ever, and time and time again is proving to be the absolute definition of 'Golf for Good'. With the unique partnership between the professionals coaches, Youth8, the Kendleshire Golf Club and members - it was essential to develop and register the Kendleshire Kids Foundation as a consistent vehicle for driving the Kendleshire Golf Club's ethos and ability to proactively improve lives of young people. It is a privilege and honour to be asked to support the Board and the Foundation."