A man with a history of serving time behind bars has expressed his gratitude after being given a second chance with his first job interview in more than 20 years.
Since the age of 11, Leroy McKenna had been involved with drugs and spent many years in and out of prison.
Now, the 39-year-old is determined to turn his life around by finding employment.
Mr McKenna has enrolled with the new employment charity Take A Chance On Me and has had his first job interview since 2001.
Set up by founder Trevor Saunders, Take A Chance On Me provides free suits and haircuts for people looking for job interviews.
Take A Chance On Me helps people look for work and prepares them for interviews through workshops and role-playing exercises.
Mr McKenna recently visited Take A Chance On Me for a food parcel and realised the charity could help him gain his independence.
"Trevor is the first person I've met in a long time who does what he says he will do," Mr McKenna said.
"I came in at first because I needed food. And now I have professional clothes and I'm about to go for my first interview.
"It's all happened so quickly."
Ahead of his interview on Tuesday, Mr McKenna said he was nervous but knew his life had to change.
"I'm tired," he said.
"I've been through some stuff some people haven't made it through.
"I couldn't get out of the cycle of drugs, crime and then prison. It's taken me 27 years to get around it. But I just kept fighting."
Mr McKenna said a turning point came when his mother died in September 2020. At the time, Mr McKenna was wanted by police.
"After I lost my mum, I took the responsibility and handed myself in," he said.
"I finished my sentence and got off drugs.
"I want to change my life."
Mr Saunders has been assisting people in Great Yarmouth with his non-profit organisation Football Against Dementia (formerly Mandalay Wellbeing) Community Interest Company since 2017.
Mr Saunders said the Take A Chance On Me initiative is about helping people take that first step into employment.
"I won't take just anyone on," Mr Saunders said.
"People have to meet me halfway and show that they want to work. Leroy is a great example of someone with that work ethic.
"He's been through a lot and made some bad decisions. But he wants to make positive changes.
"He understands what a big opportunity this is, and we've been workshopping and going through interview questions to help relax before the time comes.
"The first five seconds of meeting anyone really counts. And that's part of what we're trying to help people with.
"We want people to get the chance to help themselves and help others."
Mr Saunders said Take A Chance On Me is as much about helping employers as it is about helping people out of work.
By sending companies people taking positive steps in finding work, it helps limit the overheads of recruitment advertising.
Mr Saunders said the initiative is supported by Yarmouth GP Dr Flindall, the Price's Trust and East Coast Community Healthcare.
The Norwich branch of Slater Menswear has donated 400 suits for the interviews, and Razor Kings on Northgate Street are providing free interview-ready haircuts for candidates.
The scheme has also had some interest from the University of East Anglia, with a possible research programme set to take place in the future.
Take A Chance On Me is looking for more people looking for employment opportunities, as well as more businesses with vacant positions, to come forward.
For more information, visit www.takeachanceonme.org
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