Kevin's Story

This case study is about Kevin. Kevin spent six years in prison at 11 different institutions before seizing on the chance to restart his life after being released in 2022 to Sapphire’s Conway House men’s hostel – for the second time. He freely admits that the first time around: “I didn’t understand what Conway House had to offer because I treated the place as somewhere just to lay my head.” Coming back, he says: “I guess my mindset was different.”

Staff at the hostel’s Training and Resource Centre (TRC) encouraged Kevin to engage with professional networking platforms. The simple act of purchasing a white shirt and setting up a LinkedIn profile symbolised the start of a new professional identity.

Kevin has gone on to set up a community interest company, Khadys Dream, which uses in-depth workshops to deter young people from committing crimes, by explaining the consequences of crime and passing on a basic understanding of the criminal justice system.

Khadys Dream, named after Kevin’s mum, is proving to be highly successful. As well as securing funding from Camden Giving and Young Camden Funders, Kevin has been able to expand his reach by working with a number of local authorities and colleges, football academies at Arsenal and QPR. He was also invited to take part in the Q-SEED leadership programme, which aims to develop Black and global majority leaders in the criminal justice sector.

Kevin is clear that his time with Sapphire has been pivotal. “The support I receive at Conway is immeasurable – from the cleaning staff to the key workers. I feel like we’re one big family and I honestly would be lost without them.”

“The key workers allow me to be open and trust them with information, but they also advise me on the best solutions. They are not scared to tell me off when I am going off track, which everyone needs occasionally. They have helped me all along the way with the business: choosing a logo design, picking the correct name, and helping my confidence – priceless.”

Kevin now has ambitious plans for Khadys Dream and wants to see it expand into a national programme. “I feel Conway House is lucky to see the early stages of the business, because, in two years, I will be gone!” he says.

Sapphire Independent Housing would like to thank Kevin for sharing his story. Kevin’s story will appear in the g320 Social Impact Report 2024.