When Seb was aged just 16 he was referred to the Dorset Youth Offending Team having been excluded from school. He was on a Referral Order for stealing a boat from Weymouth Marina when he was 15. When he joined the Team, he was unable to work in a group, rarely considered others and had little respect for adults.
Through the Youth Offending Team Seb was able to start out on his Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. He successfully completed a challenging expedition on Exmoor, during which a member of another team suffered heatstroke. Seb led his team back to assist their group with a successful outcome.
For his Gold expedition, Seb then joined a team in order to support the weaker members and they successfully completed a challenging venture on top of Mount Snowdon in 2007. Seb became an exceptional team player and also began to build good relationships with DofE volunteers who had acted as role models. This was a big turning point for Seb as it was his first experience of being respected by adults and of adults believing in him.
In 2008, Seb undertook a round Britain walk, setting himself the target of raising £20,000. This was to repay his perceived debt to the community as a result of his original theft of the boat. He completed the walk in 10 months during which he experienced many challenges including climbing Ben Nevis. By the end of his trek Seb had managed to raise just over £31,000.
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