Naomi Hulston

Chief Operating Officer - Catch 22

David is a youth sector trailblazer. He has a real understanding of what it takes to deliver positive impact for young people in all its complexities and has tested this in a wide range of contexts from youth work, training and development, youth custody and education. He is completely committed to the development of self and others and is an excellent practitioner and social sector leader who I have worked with for over 17 years. He is a great relationship builder - with a skill at finding connections and partnerships with anyone he meets combining this with an ability to think strategically and commercially for the benefit of wider good. David seeks to understand people and contexts and is not afraid to work flexibly and adapt to ever changing environments. All this makes him a natural educationalist and an inspiring leader. I am always looking for new opportunities to work with David and I always find his perspective valuable.

Leanne Pero

Entrepreneur, Author, Mentor, Philanthropist and most recently, Breast Cancer Survivor

I have known David as a mentor, youth worker, and musician for 25 years, and I would not be where I am today without his support. He gave me my first teaching job at , thereby planting the seed that has grown into a 20 year career in the community dance industry. Having now seen young people develop from the opportunities I’ve been able to provide through my career choices, I have a deep respect for the impact David has made throughout his professional life. His mentorship has helped shape the professional I am today, and has allowed me to expand my work to a large scale business supporting my local community.

Justin Rollins

Former Gang Leader and Published Author

I first met David Williams when he was a youth worker at Youth Centre 21 in Sutton Surrey, the year was around 1998 and I was around 13 years of age. As a child I looked up to David, he stood out from the rest of the youth workers, looking back he was approachable, caring and cool in the eyes of a youth....As a typical teenage boy me and my friends would test the boundaries in the youth centre. But David knew how to deal with us in a firm, assertive way. He was natural with how he dealt with the youths, I guess we would have called him ‘real’, so we trusted him. With other youth workers the way they acted could seem false, but with David his care was always genuine. Fast forward a couple of years, I had walked down a wrong path and was facing a spell in Feltham Young Offenders Institution. Through my school and the local youth offending team I found myself back at Youth Centre 21 in front of David Williams to talk about my behaviour and my upcoming spell in Feltham YOI. David went out of his way to help me and prepare me for what was ahead. Although at the time I didn’t know what was really going on, who does at that age. But looking back it was David Williams that had really tried to help me and steer me in a better direction. He tried to install a better vision and hope inside of me and I’m grateful for what he done. Though I eventually went down a darker path, David was always stood out in my mind as one of the adults I met going through the system that actually cared. Fast forward over 20 years I reached out to David again and found out he was working in Feltham YOI in youth services. He invited me to do a talk to some of the inmates and watch him take a class. I found myself back in Feltham YOI the place I was held many times through my teenage years. A place that was and still is a tough environment, where the majority of staff were not respected by the inmates. Over in the education department I watched staff interact with David and show him respect. The next to come was the inmates, as soon as the young adults saw David they showed him respect and believe me that doesn’t come easily in a place like Feltham YOI that holds extremely damaged youths who can often see adult figures as a threat. So as a man watching on I could see how David could handle different situations, people and environments and still gain the genuine respect. I witnessed the same genuineness and caring person I had met all those years ago, and it was still coming through in a harsher environment than a local youth centre in Surrey. For me David is one of those unsung heroes that are few and far between in youth services. I’ll even go as deep to say that in the current climate of youth violence in London that if we had more genuine people like David it would help with the issues. David has the qualities to work with youths that you cannot learn from studying, they simply come naturally. Though kids may do stupid things, they are not stupid and they can sense if someone is false or not, with David it was always ‘real’ and as a child going through the system that is what you are looking for. A caring genuin e adult role model and David Williams is that. I will forever be thankful for his help over the years.

India Salewski

Director of Apple Fostering Ltd

Apple Fostering and FEIE CIC have developed a strong working relationship for over a year now and I’m sure we will have a continued partnership for a long time to come. Our Carers and Young People alike really enjoy working with their team and I have found the professionalism at Forward Ever an expanse of knowledge unrivalled.

We have had some great results with our Young People referred to their Youth Mentoring program and the Training courses are very insightful, even our very experienced Carers came away with new knowledge and found the training fun and engaging.