Member Article

Former soldier helps motivate the young unemployed

A former soldier is helping unemployed young people to get their lives back on track after injury brought his military career to an end.

Bombardier Lee Manley was medically discharged from the army last year after the effects of a spinal injury suffered in Afghanistan years earlier, took their toll.

“The plan had always been to stay in the army for the full 22 years,” said the dad-of-two, who now lives in Catterick.

“All of a sudden I had no idea what I was going to do. The realisation that my army career had ended was hard to take.”

Lee originally suffered damage to his back when he fell through a roof searching a compound on patrol in 2009.

Not realising the extent of the damage he carried on, but three more years of heavy duty service only intensified the problem.

Eventually seeking medical help in 2012, and despite twice undergoing spinal surgery, Lee was medically discharged in November last year.

He describes the months that followed as “a bit of a grieving process”; that was until Help for Heroes stepped in and helped Lee rediscover his direction.

“In my time in the army I used to work with 16-year-old recruits in their initial training and that was something I enjoyed,” he said.

Keen to work with young people again, Lee was matched with The Prince’s Trust Team programme – a personal development course for young people aged 16 to 25 who are not in education, work or training.

Joining the programme, delivered by Stockton Riverside College, first as a paid volunteer and then going on to secure a permanent position, Lee, who continues to undergo medical treatment, has now taken the helm of The Prince’s Trust Bishop Auckland Team programme.

It’s his job to help motivate and inspire the young people, as they develop new skills by taking part in a variety of hands-on tasks and challenges.

Always having considered himself as a “glass half full” kind of person, he is enjoying the challenge.

“When the young people say they don’t know what to do or where they are going then I feel I can relate to that,” he said.

“I can also relate to those people who have lost jobs, or want to do something in particular but, for whatever reason, can’t.”

Having now seen two groups complete the Team programme, the first as an Assistant Team Leader in Darlington and the second as a Team Leader in Bishop Auckland, Lee said: “Having to balance the Team and my ongoing medical condition is a challenge.”

But he added that seeing the change in the confidence and self-esteem of the young people makes it worthwhile.

“From seeing the young people walk through the door with their heads down in week one to seeing all they have achieved by week 12, you feel like you are doing something that is making a real difference,” he said.

Places are still available for the next Prince’s Trust Bishop Auckland Team, starting on Monday (12th September).

For details or to book your place call 01388 664 211/07553 367548 or visit www.stockton.ac.uk/princes-trust/

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Marie Turbill .