Mark’s story.

‘Mark’ had no real chance in life as he was born into extreme poverty and left school at 9 to help sell drugs. He soon got absorbed into a gang who increasingly used him for violent crime and drug dealing.

After several stints in prison, Mark decided he was tired of hurting people and quit the gang. They put a price on his head and he ran away to live on the streets.

After a while he was referred to Embassy. We housed Mark and helped him accustom to a very different kind of life outside of crime. He was challenging and at one point we had to ask him to leave but we put him up in a hotel near a full time job we sourced for him through one of our corporate partners.

He stuck that job and continued to remain in contact with us. More recently Mark decided to follow Jesus and joined a very supportive church that we partner with. He is working full time, volunteering his spare time to serve at the church and he’s regularly out on the streets of Manchester sat listening to homeless people’s stories and helping several of them into work and support.

Mark was such a prolific dealer that he daily meets ex clients and now he deals hope and encouragement and prays with people he used to damage. It’s a remarkable journey. He’s quit all the substances he used to rely on.