Welcome
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D2R has come a long way as an organisation since our founding. Our story is not unique in the sector but unique in its approach and who we are. Though we have come a long way, it has been a tough learning experience. Though the founders felt that they were ideally experienced to support young people, it has been a difficult path. Our backgrounds though beneficial in supporting young people sadly also makes it a challenge get buy in. Two ex-offenders setting up an organisation to support others like them makes for some nervous conversations from funders, trusts, foundations, and local government. The journey has been tough, however the success of supporting young people keeps us motivated to succeed. We are remarkably proud of our history, young that it may be. Though we have lots to learn, we hope that our journey acts as a beacon of hope to young people and others in the same situation that change is possible and their impact on the world can be great.
About Us
D2R co-founders Daniel Rowe & Tyron Bailey were motivated to start D2R to address the gaps of service provision that had let them down. Having They realised attitudes like theirs that it was ‘someone’s’ responsibility to solve their issues meant services were created divorced from their experiences. It also left communities like theirs disaffected and feeling powerless to act themselves. They realised that if they were not prepared to do something, they could not demand other people not part of their community to care. Dreams to reality was born. Anchored in the ethos that the distance between ones dreams becoming a reality was action.
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Tyron’s passing was the impetus that Daniel needed to ensure that their dream became a reality and that he would continue the work they started.
Background
If not us then who?
Having worked for one of the largest anti-gang charities, it was clear, that though magnificent work was being done, a sizeable number of the practitioners of the work (ex-gang members) were rarely elevated to positions of power. Though all work in the sector counts, the elevation of BAME leaders, and the people with lived experience face glass ceilings. We set out with the duel aim of supporting young people like us and creating opportunities for them to grow. To break the generational issues around recidivism by creating opportunities for BAME and young people flourish. D2R knows especially how difficult this is to address in the employment market. So we curated a programme that slated the duel aims of supporting young people and offering a pathway to employment in the same programme. Our unique experience and background means we are comfortable around people others were are not. It makes us more likely to give opportunities to people others would not. This underpins our theory of change and social purpose. Our ambition to grow as an organisation is anchored in a social purpose. That social purpose is distilled into simultaneously supporting young people and creating the opportunities for young people. I programme that is focused on not just dealing with the symptoms of youth crime and violence, but creating the space to break the cycle of youth crime and violence.
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A serendipitous meeting with a social investor changed Daniel and Tyron's idea into a plan. It gave us the confidence, we could do this. We recognised in his support the work we wanted to emulate. He spotted a potential in us we didn't know we had, he treated us with respect irrespective of our background. What we didn't realise then, and we recognise now is that he made us feel valued, and have purpose. Counter intuitively he changed our perspective by emphasising our background was not a weakness but the thing that could make us successful. We have tried to translate that feeling into a set of values. To ensure that we also ensured that we invested both financial and social capital into the people we support.
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Young people intuitively appreciate that when we say we understand we genuinely understand. All our practitioners have faced the similar battles such as poverty, peer pressures, chaotic families, marginalisation, racism, discrimination and trauma. Our staff prove not only that it can be overcome but that they genuinely put the young person's needs first.
Overcoming barriers.
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We spent a year designing and improving our project. We recognised we were excellent at delivery, we had to learn how to be leaders, to take on accountability and responsibility within an alien corporate world. A world we naively thought would embrace us, but in reality was stubbornly designed to ensure people like us remain excluded. Learning why so many from our background rarely try, or rise to positions of leadership. An issue compounded by our own lack of skills, expertise, contacts, knowledge and experience of running an organisation or business. Legally at least. Humbled that for all our previously held attitudes of 'street cred', bravado or status on the roads, this meant nothing to funders, local authorities or foundations. All the energy we had focused our lives on amounted to nothing in the corporate world. Though our experiences had value. We learned the difference between knowing the price of things and the value of things.
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The first issue we faced was the institutional and structural barriers. Nothing could prepare us for the incredulity we elicited when we pitched our concept, considering it was coming from two men with criminal backgrounds, and previous gang affiliation. In short we had no perceived investable value. We had been incarcerated on top of being ethnic minorities. We in short represent the perfect synopsis of the people we support. It is often quibbled that one's network is their net worth, by this yard stick as founders we were both socially and financially poor. We had to fight for every victory.
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Our ability to incorporate as a legal entity was curtailed by our background. Charity, CIC, CIO were out of our reach. Who and how do we onboard trustees? Our networks lacked 'reputable' people prepared to be a board member trustee. Incorporation was just the first hurdle. A costly one.
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We lost significant money through trial and error. Trying to incorporate as an organisation with social purpose was easy. This ambition was stymied by the institutional barriers we faced in the support systems we needed. In short social enterprise, CICs and CIOs guaranteed no banks or insurance companies would give us an account or cover. So we were forced down the LTD route. Which has significant impact on our our ability to raise funds. Funders don't care often about what you do. The three letters after your organisation name often amount to more than the work you do. CIC, CIO, Charity represent a good thing. LTD has become something we battle with everyday as we try prove we can be trusted to have the trusted acronym come after Dreams 2 Reality. The net result being exclusion, not even being able to access a considerable pool of resources because three letters define our work, not the work itself defining us.
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The LTD route afforded us a bank account. Insurance a necessary prerequisite on most funders grants came down to one broker and a lot of prayer. After an intense conversation this broker gave us a chance. Though the premium we pay is three times what any other company would. Showcasing avidly why we emphasise to young people the long term consequences of choices, that have far reaching impact and often cannot be anticipated.
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In short our survival has been a constant swim up stream against forces designed to exclude us. Unintentional it may be, but structurally almost uniformly designed to ensure we cannot succeed. Creating an environment that makes it remarkably difficult for people from marginalised and excluded backgrounds to succeed. For ex-offenders virtually impossible. Self employment course in prison currently informs ex-cons that though they can start a business, they aren't told that they are unlikely to get Public Liability Insurance or Public Indemnity Insurance. Which means working at significant risk, or not being able to secure a contract at all when organisations do their due diligence. Though we can work in the sector, its under a cloud. Systemic and structural myopia mean communities affected don't always get the chance to be a part of the solution. Our tenacity to succeed despite these barriers is anchored in our belief in the people we support. Youth crime and violence has such a massive impact that it gives us the strength to overcome barriers. This is why we value the partners who have been by our side from the start judging us by what we do, not the three letters next to our business name.
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It also reinforces why we achieve significantly better outcomes and impact. We care.
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Designed by People who reflect the people we support.
We care.
Care is often quoted and rarely practiced. We put the young person's needs at the heart of what we do. This means empowering young people to be a part of their own support. Asking a young person to be accountable and take responsibility demands them having an active role to play in their own support. A sense of being an equal partner, respected, valued and unique. Outcomes, indicators, outputs, and inputs may be generic, but we never forget that to the individual their experience and journey is unique to them. That defines the services offer. Uniformly high in standards, and bespoke to the person supported.
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The process and methodologies are stress tested and we know they work because we both reflect the reality and the evidence of our successes.
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Empowerment means buy in. Buy in means responsibility. Taking responsibility relies on the young person feeling that they have a say, and some form of power over their own lives. We teach responsibility through empowering the young person. Using both social capital and financial capital as positive reinforcement that the young people we support often haven't received.
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Calm in troubled waters
Like most organisations we face the threat of short term funding for long term social issues. We have grown as an organisation and as individuals because of the truly amazing people in the sector. Like any sector it has its issues, the structural and systemic are acute for us. However, as a sector there are a disproportionately high number of amazing people doing amazing things. Many of which we are happy to call critical friends and partners. Giving us a helping hand supporting us to navigate the short term insecurities to deliver long term impact to the young people we support. For every bad experience, thankfully there is an overwhelming number of good people helping us succeed.
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It is to all the charities, schools, social workers and young people that we owe our gratitude. You consistently remind us what we do matters. Our impact makes a difference and that the barriers we face can be overcome.
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