Wayne.
Wayne leads our work on serious youth violence and gang exit, with more than 25 years spent alongside the young people others have given up on.
At the forefront of tackling youth violence and gang exploitation in our communities.
At the forefront
Wayne is a dedicated and passionate advocate in the field of serious youth violence and gang exit work. With over 25 years of experience, he has been at the forefront of efforts to address the impact of youth violence and gang-related harm within our communities.
Having witnessed first-hand the devastating consequences of youth violence, Wayne has committed his career to creating positive change and providing real alternatives for young people at risk. He has designed and delivered intervention programmes that prevent young people being drawn into gangs, and that support those who want to leave that life behind.
The ones others give up on
At Youth Unity, Wayne leads our mentoring for young people affected by serious youth violence. He has spent more than three decades working closely with the young people who are hardest to reach and hardest to engage, and he keeps going where others step back. His approach is trauma-informed: he understands that behaviour which looks like defiance is often a response to what a young person has lived through, and he works with that reality rather than against it.
That persistence gets results. Wayne has an outstanding track record of achievements with the young people he has worked with, and his determination to guide each one towards a better future is what defines him.
Trauma-informed, contextual safeguarding
Wayne’s expertise extends to contextual safeguarding: understanding the risks young people face beyond the family home, on the street, online and among their peers. He built that insight over many years working in children’s care homes, where those risks are often at their sharpest.
It means he sees the whole picture around a young person, not just the behaviour in front of him, and he can work with families, schools and services to change the environment as well as the individual.
Why it matters
Gang exit work is demanding, slow and often unseen. Wayne takes on those responsibilities with skill and real commitment, and the young people he supports know they have someone in their corner for as long as it takes.
