Man told he was not employable now leads top team

TOLD HE’D NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING

- KATIE OBORN

As a young boy, PJ Newcombe was in and out of care and at one point was left on the streets to fend for himself. In later life, the now 43-year-old abuse survivor battled drug addiction and mental health problems.

He was told he would never amount to anything and would never be able to get a job – and at one point he believed that. But one day he decided he was “fed up of being a broken man in a broken system” and vowed to change – and he’s done exactly that.

Not only is PJ now in charge of his own organisation but he’s helping others with their mental health and giving back to the local community to the extent that he was recently awarded £10,000 by the National Lottery Fund.

PJ, who has been clean and sober for more than 10 years, has set up Moondogz – an organisation which encourages mental health clients to get out in the open water on kayaks. The kayaking support group works side-by-side with the local counselling service, Hidden Lives.