Benji Williams
Benji, 24,
Wolverhampton, had been involved with drugs since the age of
12.
He sold class-A drugs and his lifestyle led to
him leaving home at 14 and being kicked out of school. By the age
of 18 he had been convicted of drug dealing and sent to prison for
two years.
Several attempts were made on his life and it
finally hit home when he was shot in the leg. He knew things had to
change.
Whilst recovering in hospital he met Dave
Webb, a police officer seconded to The Prince's Trust.
Dave persuaded Benji to apply to join The Trust's Team
programme.
Team changed Benji’s life and made him
realise that he could make something of himself. He went to a detox
clinic after Team to overcome his drug addiction and trained to
become a football coach and youth worker. He now volunteers at a
homeless shelter and has a full-time job with the YMCA.
Benji says that without The
Prince’s Trust Team programme and the support from David Webb
in particular, as well as his family and other organisations, he
would not have had the confidence to turn his life around and look
forward to the future. He and Dave Webb remain good friends, and
Benji freely admits his views of the police have changed
completely.
With his offending past behind
him, Benji has has now been recruited as a Young
Ambassador for The Trust to inspire other young people to turn
their lives around. This has led to him appearing on BBC WM radio
and The Politics Show on BBC 1. He is also the winner of the
Wolverhampton City Council Young Achiever of the Year Award for
2009.