Apprentice pushes for a fresh start at Reebok gym

The organisation helped Josh cast aside years tarnished by crime and drugs, during which time two of his friends were killed within a year.

His story is one of those which will be published on City Gateway's 10 Year Blog, which offers politicians, staff and the public a chance to discuss ways of tackling social problems in east London.

Wapping resident Josh said: "What you've got in the area is the poorer side and the richer side, separated by one road. It's all about making the crossing to employment, and City Gateway was that bridge for me."

Josh's father was in prison while he was at school, leaving his mother to work 12 hour shifts to support the family. He had been involved in kayaking from the age of eight, and represented Tower Hamlets and London before giving up the sport aged 15.

He then moved into music, a hobby which became a main pursuit when he suffered a severe leg injury in a collision four years ago.

Josh said: "A car went into the side of my motorbike and I was in hospital for a few months. It took a couple of years to get going again.

"I couldn't work at the time so my only job was music. I was DJing in Sweden at the Gothenburg festival, in France, Scotland and on BBC Radio 1Xtra.

"The problem with the music was that it wasn't funded by A&R, but by crime and drugs. That's how we got our albums and mix tapes out.

"Due to what was going on in London with gun crime, I lost two friends. It was only a year ago that the second friend died, and I thought it was time to get out.

"I looked for apprenticeships, but I was either too old, or I'd been in work, or sometimes I'd be too educated, not educated enough, the wrong creed or gender. But when I contacted City Gateway, they took me on straight away."

Josh harnessed his passion for sport to do a gym-based apprenticeship course for four months. He hopes to continue to work towards becoming a personal trainer.

After years of decreased mobility following his accident, he expects to have the lower part of his right leg amputated in a few months, but wants to help those in a similar situation by eventually helping NHS-referred amputees through rehabilitation.

He said: "My mobility is really bad at the moment and it stops me doing a lot. I'm hoping to get a sports prosthetic leg. My plan is to run the marathon next year with a blade limb.

"Now and again I'll DJ at certain venues, but all my energy is going into the gym at the moment.

"The time just flies by. Some of the days start at 5.15am, and others go on until 10.30am. But I don't think there's a single minute in the day when I'm really bored."

Josh's contribution to the blog will soon sit alongside entries by MPs Tessa Jowell and Iain Duncan Smith, Sir Alan Sugar and Sir Ian McKellen.

Questions addressed include the importance of volunteering, the real issues affecting east London, and how businesses can help improve one of London's most deprived boroughs.

See the blog at citygateway. org.uk/news/blog