A 23-year-old man from Blackburn has turned his life around after engaging with the Champions programme.
In 2022, the male was arrested for an attempted armed robbery involving a knife.
He received a short prison sentence, and after his release he engaged with Champions Mentor, Jake Woodworth from Blackburn Rovers Community Trust.
Jake said: “Sometimes people just need to know someone is there for them, he is still fighting an addiction but with the right support, there really is hope out there and we have to invest this support into our young people.”
The young man was introduced to the Champions programme by his probation officer, and since engaging with the programme, he has made significant progress.
The Champions programme was set up by the Lancashire Violence Reduction Network and football club community organisations to support young people to prevent them entering the criminal justice system.
Champions Mentors like Jake, work with young people across Lancashire on a daily basis with the aim of preventing and reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.
