Tony didn’t have the easiest start in life. His father died when he was very young, and his family didn’t have much money to live on.
“I lived on hand me downs and would eat at relatives when there was no food in the cupboards. The older I became, the harder it got. When I reached secondary school age, my behaviour started spiralling out of control.”
After multiple suspensions from school, Tony was eventually expelled and sent to a specialist school for children with behavioural issues. Instead of helping him, this placement caused Tony to spiral further, as he was exposed to bad behaviour on a daily basis.
Tony finished school without ever taking a single exam, doing a single piece of homework, or reading a book. He fell into a cycle of partying and doing ‘cash-in-hand’ jobs, which were often illegal, and this continued for years.
In 2006, Tony’s life was extremely different to how it is today. He heavily used recreational drugs, which led to trouble with the law, and he felt like his life was going to waste.
“At the time, I was justifying my behaviour as ‘just having some fun’, but the fact is that I was well into my 30s, and my life had just stagnated.”
An accidental meeting with the co-founder of Blue Sky, Steve Finn, in 2006 changed everything for Tony. After meeting Steve at a family event and learning about the business, he was invited to take a job as a Grounds Maintenance Operative the following week.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the role. Just getting up and going to work every day was something I hadn’t experienced before. I remember thinking: this is real life.”
After six months in the role, Tony was promoted to Supervisor, after Blue Sky won a new contract with Hillingdon’s local authority. He excelled in this role, receiving excellent feedback from Hillingdon Council. As time passed, Tony became a Senior Supervisor, thanks to his work ethic, ability to lead teams and growing experience.
“I was in a job that I really enjoyed, and I loved feeling the respect of colleagues and commissioners. I didn’t see it coming, but working for Blue Sky changed my life.”
Now a Team Leader at Blue Sky Services, Tony is proud of the hard work that got him here.
“I am learning new skills every day and developing real insights on how to manage a team of staff. This new role has been quite challenging, but I am trying to embrace these changes and am learning from them every day.”
Tony’s long-term aim is to become a Senior Manager at Blue Sky Services.
“Working for Blue Sky has helped me maintain a healthy and normal life. I stopped using drugs many years ago and, had it not been for Blue Sky Services, I am sure that I wouldn’t have stopped, and might have ended up in and out of prison.”
