David Warren, who was released from prison in 2022, has turned his life around after spending time living in a tent on Crosby Beach. He now helps others with mental health issues through free boxing classes and was part of a football team that won a league title.
From Prison to Rock Bottom
In November 2017, Warren and five others were sentenced to a combined 75 years in prison after being found guilty of bringing approximately 12kg of cocaine, worth at least £400,000, into Worcester. Warren, who had been living in Warndon in Worcester, was sentenced to nine years.
After his release four years ago, Warren, now 51 and living in Kensington, Liverpool, faced the challenge of rebuilding his life. He told the ECHO: "I got a job after leaving prison, but my biggest issue was that I didn’t know how to talk to people."
Finding Help with Crisis
Warren described his breakdown: "I had my own business and my own place, but I had a mental breakdown and walked away from it all. I threw away my phone and found myself living on Crosby Beach in a tent. I just didn't want to be here anymore, so I tried to commit suicide. When I woke up in the tent the next morning, I realised I’d hit rock bottom and I needed help. That's when I found Crisis and met my lead worker John who has been amazing."
Reflecting on his past, he added: "When I think about my past life, I was probably the unhappiest I've ever been, because everything was fake. You plaster over the cracks with fake money. I used to call it wallpaper. It just plasters over everything. Fake friends, the fake life, the fake lifestyle."
Football and Boxing Success
Sharon Moss, a Critical Time Intervention (CTI) worker at Crisis, helped set up the Crisis Skylight football team, comprised of men who have been in prison and are now receiving support from the CTI team. The team entered the Championship (second tier) of the Spirit of Merseyside Men’s Five a side league and were crowned winners on Tuesday, October 27.
Warren said: "It's not just like turning up Mondays to train and then seeing them at the tournament. There's so much more they put into it. What Sharon and Jo have done with that football team, we're all there to thank them. But what we've realised is we're actually there because of them. We're learning to work as a team."
Besides football, Warren now hosts free boxing classes for men and women with mental health issues. He said: "Since finding Crisis I’ve got back involved with boxing again and now we run a thing called DPT, which is for people who struggle with mental health and addiction. A friend lets me use his boxing gym for free every Saturday and Sunday. So, if I'm getting it for free, I don't charge the lads."
Warren also works with several charities to raise awareness of homelessness and mental health issues. He said: "Now, having a path to work with people like John, Sharon and Jo is like a dream. I love it. I just love it. This is where I am meant to be."
