I share my work because I believe deeply in post-traumatic growth. Every trauma I have experienced, I have worked hard to turn into something positive — something that can help others feel seen, understood, and supported.
I was born in 1974, and school was very different then. Children were expected to sit still, be quiet, and conform. If you didn’t, you were punished. Looking back, it now makes complete sense that I was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 40 — suddenly, my whole childhood fell into place.
In my final year of school, I was told by a teacher and a careers officer:
“Williams, you’ll never get a job or do anything with your life.”
What makes that moment even more powerful is that just four months earlier, I had become a British champion at the age of 15 — and alongside school, I already had a paper round and a weekend window-cleaning business to earn my own money.
The turning point for me came much earlier, at the age of seven, through my local youth club. It was there that I found confidence, belief, and a sense of belonging — thanks to a volunteer youth worker, Stan Norris, who dedicated over 50 years of his life to supporting young people in our community.
That belief — given freely, consistently, and without judgement — stayed with me. It shaped the person I became, the father I am, and the work I now do. I share my story so others know that labels do not define you, trauma does not end you, and one person believing in you can change everything.
After leaving school, the rave scene was well underway, and I spent the next seven years on a path of reckless partying and poor decisions — ways of coping with anxiety I didn’t yet understand. At the time, it felt like escape; in reality, it was survival without support.
Everything began to change after I met my wife. A turning point came after my third court appearance in just six months — a moment that forced me to stop, reflect, and choose a different direction.
I changed careers and moved into sales, which became the foundation for stability, structure, and self-belief. That shift also opened the door to a complete lifestyle change, including backpacking and travelling extensively around the world — experiences that broadened my perspective and helped me grow as a person.
After building a successful career, my life took another profound turn following the birth of our son, Ethan. Shortly after, my wife Michelle became unwell, and suddenly mental health was no longer something happening around me — it was happening to my family. That period changed everything.
Wanting to give back and make sense of what we were experiencing, I began volunteering as a youth worker — a role that would span many years, right through to 2025. It was during this time, working directly with young people,families, and communities, that I truly began my journey into mental health work.
What started as volunteering became a vocation, shaped by lived experience, compassion, and a determination to ensure others received the understanding and support that so many of us never had growing up.
I believe that anyone, with the right mindset and confidence, can achieve far more than they are often told. I also believe there is a book inside every one of us — a story worth telling, a voice worth hearing.
I want to help people understand that leaving school at 15 with nothing does not mean you have nothing to give. Sometimes, school simply isn’t built for the way your mind works. That does not make you a failure — it means your strengths lie elsewhere.
What I have learned over time is how to recognise my strengths and, just as importantly, how to ask for help when I need it. As a child, I was misunderstood. Many teachers didn’t see my inner strengths — and some didn’t take the time to know me as a person beyond the classroom. Those words spoken to me in my final year still shine brightly in my memory, not as a wound, but as a reminder of why this work matters.
And to future teachers, youth workers, and professionals: every child and every young person has something to offer society. Potential doesn’t always show up in exams, silence, or stillness — sometimes it shows up in resilience, creativity, leadership, and survival. When we take the time to see the whole person, we don’t just change outcomes — we change lives.
