Kasim moved to London after spending 18 months in prison in his hometown, Birmingham.
He said, “When I came to London it felt like rock bottom for me. It was the worst I’d ever felt in my life. I fell into a deep depression and was emotional. I didn’t know what to do. I had no sense of direction.”
“I found out about Spear at the Job Centre. The first few days of the programme were tough, but they taught me about how to sell my abilities, whereas before Spear I thought, ‘Who would want to employ me?’ I learnt about speaking in the formal register and about how not to be a victim. They really showed me that I am worth a lot more.”
Soon after completing Spear, Kasim started working at Iceland.
He said, “I want to say thank you so much to everyone for their generosity. The coaches do really look out for us and they really care. When I found out that Spear was a charity, I couldn’t believe it – thank you.”
