Young offenders, troubled youth, prison visitation

I first met Gram Seed as we queued to pass through security into Maghaberry Prison, Belfast. We were both members of a volunteer team visiting prisoners as part of the national Christian Alpha programme.

Gram had a difficult upbringing and is well suited to help youngsters who had a similar background to his.

Gram is a big guy and bears the scars of his former lifestyle. I was grateful he was on ‘my side’ and found him to be uniquely friendly and genuinely caring to all of us.

Over the next three days, I witnessed him touching men’s lives with a real understanding and warmth that brought hope and encouragement to those on long term prison sentences.

Gram’s tragic background and old life of crime, alcohol, drug abuse and violence was in sharp contrast to my own middle class family upbringing. As he spoke to life sentence prisoners at Magahberry they clearly identified with him, and as he explained his near death experience in hospital and miraculous recovery, there was an awed silence.

Whether Christian or not, no one can deny the life changing experience that Gram went through, and from my own observations, his story had a dramatic impact on everyone who listened to him.

His message is one of forgiveness, healing, change and hope for the future regardless of your circumstances or what you have done.

I kept in touch with Gram after Maghaberry, as I did with some of the prisoners I met. I invited him to Watford to speak with some of our local disaffected youngsters and troubled teenagers. Once again, his message and life story had a deep impact on those who were already venturing down the same slippery slope that Gram was rescued from.

I had always wanted Eagles Wings to have a valid UK project that would touch the marginalised in our own country. As I spent time with Gram, I heard about his work with young offenders, regular visits to one of our few children’s prisons and busy travelling programme to speak to small and large groups about his story of hope. I decided that this was truly a worthy cause and would fit with our charitable objectives.
Initially Eagles wings has helped Gram buy a sound car for him to travel from Teesside throughout the UK, but I hope that this is only the start.

Bruce Oliver with Gram Seed our UK partner

Gram dressed in the familiar Bovver boy ‘uniform’ of the 1970s

Gram is familiar with trouble, here he is working as a doorman before he nearly died

Gram was addicted to alcohol and drugs. He attempted to kill himself on a number of occasions and ended up in hospital in a coma. He wants to stop youngsters going down the same slippery path of self-destruction