Under Construction Service

On Friday 16th January, we were pleased to welcome Marcus Simon from Under Construction Service / UpSkillU, who delivered a series of informative and impactful sessions to our students on the risks associated with gang culture, county lines, grooming, drugs, and weapons. Marcus works as a mentor supporting young people who are either involved in gangs or at risk of being groomed into gang culture. He is also a football coach and the founder of a rapidly growing football academy.

During the sessions, Marcus shared his powerful personal journey as a former gang member who was groomed from a young age, and reflected on how these experiences affected his later life as an adult and a father. He emphasised the key message behind his work: “prevention is better than cure.”

The sessions were extremely well received. Students remained fully engaged throughout and asked thoughtful and insightful questions, demonstrating a strong level of reflection and understanding around the important safeguarding issues discussed.