Found guilty on three counts of fraud, Dave* spent 18 months in prison.  Rebuilding his life has been tough but with the help of a great support network, especially Kingdom Resources and Salisbury Street (rehabilitation centre) his life has been transformed.

Dave first attended both the Men @ Work course and Beat the Budget Blues run by Kingdom Resources in 2002.  The courses were a compulsory part of Salisbury Street Foundation’s programme which is geared at preparing former prison inmates for re-entering civilian life again and to start making the right choices, away from crime.

“I wasn’t in the best frame of mind when I first came to Kingdom Resources”, explained Dave.  “I thought I knew all about getting a job ... But our group gelled well and after a few sessions I really started to enjoy it.”
He knew rebuilding his life wouldn’t be easy.  “My confidence had taken a big hit”, said Dave.  “I also knew that it was really important to start at the bottom of the ladder and work my way up.”

He stayed in his first job after leaving Salisbury Street for 6 months and then got his wish to start a career in sales. 

His attitude to money and material things has also changed.  “It’s no longer just about work and money”, said Dave, “It’s about having a balanced life.  I work too many hours at the moment in order to clear my debt, but with that largely paid off I’m again looking for a change in job so I can spend more time with my partner and doing things I love, like rugby coaching”.

Abridged from Kingdom Resources Newsletter,  Winter  2006

*Name changed.