Paul Walmsley, a qualified life coach, humanistic counsellor, and NLP practitioner and previously ‘Britain's Most Wanted’ criminal and spent five years on the run from the police before handing himself in in 2011. Towards the end of his ten-year prison sentence, he completed a teacher training qualification, then went on to become a tutor at a sports academy before being released on license in July 2016. Paul published his Amazon bestselling memoir, Just an Ordinary Decent Criminal, in 2017 and now participates in projects in the Merseyside area designed to guide young people away from a life of crime.
Paul joins me today to share his experience of growing up in crime-filled Norris Green as the youngest of nine children and how he was led into a criminal lifestyle from the age of 10 years old. He discusses the misconception that dealing drugs leads to a glamorous lifestyle and why the risks and dangers significantly outweigh the benefits. Paul also shares how he began to work with young people as part of a community reparation scheme and how he works with national organisations to help disenfranchised youths understand the value of hard work and education.
“Some young people just need to know they’ve got somebody - give them a number, give them a website, let them know that you will never leave them. Once they’re ready to do the right thing, we’re here for them.”- Paul Walmsley
“Let’s start writing young people in, not writing them off.” - Paul Walmsley
Today on The Community Safety Podcast:
● The traumatic events that led Paul towards a drug-fueled lifestyle and how he moved from using to selling
● The incident that led to him going on the run in Europe for five terrifying years
● Why Paul decided to hand himself in to the British police
● Paul's life in prison and why, although it was a tough experience that it was the best thing that could have happened to him
● What motivated Paul to write his book Just an Ordinary Decent Criminal
● The danger of cannabis use and why it is close to becoming an epidemic in the UK
● Why businesses are keen to take part in projects that support young people to get into meaningful work
● How to improve outcomes for young people at risk and why it’s a whole community effort
● Paul’s philosophy of never giving up on anyone
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