Wigan · North West · CIC No. 16599630

Some kids get
every advantage.
These ones get us.

Founded by David Zahedi — former member of an organised crime group turned World Champion Powerlifter, actor and entrepreneur. Working with vulnerable young people aged 8–18 across the North West through mentorship, fitness and anti-crime intervention.

See Our Impact Refer a Young Person

0+Young people reached

78%Improved school attendance

91%Increased confidence

8–18Age range

Delivered at

Unity Academy, Blackpool Lathom High School Bolton College Longridge High School Our Lady's Queen of Peace Oasis Academy Inspired Gym, Standish

David and team with students after a Brighter Futures session

Young people receiving certificates at a Brighter Futures session

Why We Exist

The system wasn't built for these kids.
So we built something that was.

Every week, young people across the North West fall through the gaps. Excluded from school with nobody following up. A first caution and every door closes. Growing up without a single adult who holds them accountable.

Brighter Futures exists because waiting for the system to fix itself is not a strategy. We offer something simple: structure, consistency, physical challenge, and adults who don't give up.

Our Story

Founded by David Zahedi

His gang was jailed for 150 years.
He chose a different path.

The son of an immigrant, born in Liverpool in the 1980s. David's early life eventually led him into organised crime. He was part of an organised crime group whose members were collectively jailed for 150 years, with around £6 million in assets frozen across the group.

He changed direction. Became British, European and World Champion Powerlifter. Actor. Musician. Multiple business owner. And on 22nd July 2025, the founder of Brighter Futures Youth Project CIC.

When David stands in front of a young person heading the wrong direction, he is not guessing what that road looks like. He has been where they are heading. That is why they listen when nobody else can reach them.

Meet the Team

David Zahedi, Founder of Brighter Futures Youth Project CIC

David Zahedi · Founder & Director · World Champion Powerlifter

0+

Young people reached through direct programmes and outreach

78%

Improved school attendance or re-engagement within 6 months

91%

Reported increased confidence at programme completion

£6

Per child per hour — primary school programme

Six Programmes

What we do.

Every programme is built around one principle: young people don't need to be managed. They need consistent adults, structure, and the experience of being good at something.

🤝

Mentorship

12-month committed relationships. Real conversations. Real accountability.

Ages 8–18 · All referral routes

💪

Fitness & Strength

Strength training, conditioning and physical discipline at Inspired Gym, Standish.

All participants

🛡️

Anti-Crime Intervention

Early, direct work with young people at risk. We show up in the critical window.

Ages 13–18 · Police & statutory

📚

Educational Re-engagement

Bridging exclusion to return. Rebuilding attendance, confidence and aspiration.

Excluded & chronically absent

🔄

Rehabilitation Support

For young people leaving the justice system. Structure and forward motion.

Ages 13–18 · Post-custody

🌱

Community Outreach

Going where young people are, before they reach the referral stage.

Hard-to-reach young people

Full Programme Details

David addressing a large group at Bolton College

"I didn't think anyone
would bother.
They bothered."

Programme participant · Referred age 14

David in session with a sitting group of students

One-to-one conversation between David and a student

Safeguarding & Governance

Every young person deserves a safe, accountable environment.

Safeguarding is not a document we dust off for inspections. Every staff member and volunteer holds an enhanced DBS disclosure. Our Designated Safeguarding Lead holds Level 3 certification. We operate within Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023).

Request Safeguarding Pack

Insured through PolicyBee — £5 million public liability cover

£5 Million InsuredPublic Liability · Cover in Force

Enhanced DBS — all staff & volunteers, no exceptions
Level 3 Designated Safeguarding Lead on staff
£5 million public liability insurance in force
Registered CIC — Companies House No. 16599630
Documented escalation to Wigan LA & Greater Manchester Police
Annual safeguarding policy review

Ready to refer a young person or fund the work?

Refer a Young Person Fund the Work

Our Story

We didn't start this because someone asked us to.
We started it because nobody else would.

The Origin

Built from lived experience. Not theory.

The son of an immigrant, born in Liverpool in the 1980s. David Zahedi grew up in circumstances that eventually led him into organised crime. He was a member of an organised crime group whose members were collectively jailed for 150 years, with around £6 million in assets frozen across the group.

That is not a backstory he hides. It is the foundation of everything Brighter Futures is built on. When David stands in front of a 14-year-old with a caution — he has been exactly where those young people are heading.

He changed direction. Became British, European and World Champion Powerlifter. An actor with film and music video credits. A musician. A multiple business owner. And on 22nd July 2025, the founder of Brighter Futures Youth Project CIC.

"I was part of a group jailed for a combined 150 years, with millions in assets frozen. I've sat in those rooms. When I sit in front of a young person heading the same direction, I'm not a youth worker reading a script. I'm someone who actually knows where that road ends. And I know it doesn't have to."

David Zahedi · Founder & Director

Liverpool Echo headline: Jailed for 150 years — the Merseyside drugs gang who supplied £1m of cocaine — As reported by the **Liverpool Echo** · The gang was jailed for a combined 150 years

David Zahedi in session at Unity Academy, Blackpool

David Zahedi · Founder & Director

Incorporated 22nd July 2025

CIC No. 16599630

brighterfuturesproject.org.uk

David addressing students at a school session

School sports hall session with pupils in a line

The Team

The people who do the work.

Every person on this team came to this work through conviction, not a career path.

David Zahedi

Founder & Director

Son of an immigrant. Born Liverpool, 1980s. Former member of an organised crime group whose members were collectively jailed for 150 years, with around £6M in assets frozen across the group. Became British, European & World Champion Powerlifter, actor, musician and entrepreneur. Founded Brighter Futures CIC July 2025.

Mike Wood

Coordinator

Connects schools, manages referrals and makes sure every young person who comes to us reaches the right programme at the right time.

Marshall Kaila

Youth Mentor & Entrepreneur

Works directly with young people as a mentor. Brings a real-world entrepreneurial perspective — passing on the belief that anything is buildable from nothing.

Richard Mahood

Director & Board Member

Provides governance oversight ensuring Brighter Futures operates with the transparency and accountability that funders, schools and statutory partners rely on.

Core Values

What we actually believe.

Consistency Over Intensity

The most powerful thing we offer is not a brilliant intervention. It is showing up, again and again, for as long as it takes.

Honesty Over Comfort

We tell young people the truth about their situation and choices. False reassurance is a form of disrespect.

High Expectations

We do not lower the bar because a young person has had a difficult start. Low expectations are one of the most damaging things an adult can communicate.

Accountable to Evidence

We measure what we do and report honestly — including what does not work. We produce impact, not performance.

You've read the story. Now be part of it.

Get In Touch Refer a Young Person

Brighter Futures session in school sports hall

Our Programmes

Six ways we change direction for young people.

David Zahedi in session at Unity Academy

David talking to a group at Bolton College

01 — Core Programme

One-to-One Mentorship

Ages 8–18 · All referral routes

Every young person is matched with a mentor who commits to a minimum of twelve months. Not twelve sessions. Twelve months. The relationship doesn't end when the funding cycle ends or when things get complicated.

Our mentors are consistent adults who tell the truth, set expectations and come back. Many have lived experience of the same communities as the young people they work with. That is not incidental — it is the point.

"The single most protective factor for a young person at risk is one stable, trusted adult in their life."

Early Intervention Foundation

Refer a Young Person

Inspired Gym, Standish, Wigan

02 — Core Programme

Fitness, Strength & Conditioning

All participants · Inspired Gym, Standish

Physical activity is not the add-on. It is the mechanism through which everything else becomes possible. The gym is where trust is built, discipline is practised, and confidence is made tangible.

The first deadlift. The first time they finished the whole circuit. The first time someone said "you're good at this" and meant it. Physical progress becomes the language through which all other progress is expressed.

Get Involved

03 — Specialist Programme

Anti-Crime Intervention

Ages 13–18 · Police & statutory referrals

The moment a young person receives their first caution is one of the most critical windows in their life. Most services are not positioned to act in that window. Brighter Futures is.

The average cost of a young person entering custody is £65,000 per year. The cost of our full intervention is a fraction of that. A 14-year-old with a caution is not a criminal — they are a young person at a junction. Our job is to stand at that junction.

Urgent Referral

David and young people training in front of mural

04 — School Partnership

Educational Re-engagement

School exclusion is rarely the cause of a young person's problems. It is the moment those problems become visible to an institution that no longer knows what to do with them. When a school excludes a young person, the message received is: we have given up on you. Brighter Futures does not accept that message as final.

School Referral

We work directly with schools' inclusion teams. We address what schools frequently cannot: the reasons a young person stopped engaging. Often those reasons are relational, domestic, emotional — not academic. Result: 78% improved school attendance within six months.

David addressing a full classroom of students

Young people holding certificates and medals

05 — Specialist

Rehabilitation Support

For young people leaving the justice system. Without structure, consistent relationships and a reason to get up, re-offending is a predictable outcome of a vacuum. We fill that vacuum.

Make a Referral

06 — Community

Community Outreach

The young people most at risk rarely make it to referral meetings. Our outreach workers go where they are — streets, parks, school gates — building trust before asking for anything in return.

Community Partnership

Know a young person who needs this?

Refer Now Support Our Work

David at Bolton College addressing students

Our Impact

The numbers behind the work.
And the people behind the numbers.

0+

Young people reached through direct programmes and outreach

78%

Improved school attendance or re-engagement within 6 months

91%

Reported increased confidence at programme completion

6+

Schools and institutions delivered across the North West

What We Measure

Five outcome domains. Tracked honestly.

School attendance and engagement — tracked from referring school
Criminal justice involvement — cautions and police contact recorded throughout
Confidence and wellbeing — self-reported scores at referral, 3 months and completion
Family relationships — parent/carer report at referral and completion
Education and employment — tracked at 6 and 12 months post-completion

We report honestly on what we find, including where outcomes were not achieved. Full methodology available to funders and partners on request.

Certificates & medals · Brighter Futures participants

Case Studies

This happens consistently. Not occasionally.

Age 16 · School Referral

Excluded twice. Back in college now.

Excluded twice, described by staff as unreachable. After six months with Brighter Futures she completed her GCSEs and is now studying health and social care at college.

"She came back different. Not compliant — confident." — Form tutor

Age 17 · Outreach

Two cautions. Now volunteers every Saturday.

Two cautions, heading in one direction. Now 18 months in — holds a first aid qualification, volunteers at junior sessions, wants to become a mentor himself.

"It was the first time someone actually listened."

Age 14 · Children's Services

41% attendance. Now 84%.

Referred during active child protection review. Attendance at 41%. Twelve months later: 84% attendance, no further criminal justice involvement, family situation stabilised.

Outcome verified by referring social worker

Want the full Impact Report?

Request Impact Report Funding Conversations

For Funders & Investors

Invest in measurable change for young people across the North West.

Every £1 invested in early youth intervention saves an estimated £8–£12 in future statutory costs. We can demonstrate exactly where your funding goes, what it changes, and how we know.

Book a Funding Conversation View Impact Data

£65k

Annual cost of a young person in youth custody (Ministry of Justice)

£6

Per child per hour for our primary school programme

8×

Return on investment — £1 early intervention saves £8 in future costs

78%

Of referred young people improve school attendance within 6 months

Funding Tiers

What your investment unlocks.

£5,000

Foundation Grant

Three months mentorship for one young person. Gym sessions for a small cohort. Community outreach for one month.

£25,000

Programme Partner

Full 12-month mentorship for five young people. One complete anti-crime intervention cohort. School programme for one term. Quarterly reporting.

£100,000

Strategic Funder

Full delivery for 20+ young people across all 6 programmes. Expanded outreach. Community trainer development. Monthly reporting and governance involvement.

Governance & Transparency

Everything a grant officer needs to say yes.

Registered CIC — Companies House No. 16599630, incorporated July 2025
70% of all funding direct to programme delivery
Five-domain outcome measurement — full methodology available
Level 3 DSL & enhanced DBS all staff and volunteers
£5 million public liability insurance in force
Quarterly written outcome reports to all funders
Site visits and independent evaluation available

£5 million public liability
insurance in force

Start a Funding Conversation

Let's have a real conversation. Not a pitch deck.

Contact Us Impact Data

Referrals

Refer a young person. We'll take it from here.

Referrals are straightforward, confidential and assessed within 48 hours. No waiting lists for urgent cases.

Who Can Refer

Anyone concerned about a young person.

Schools, social workers, GPs, YOTs, police, youth workers, community organisations, parents and young people themselves. We do not operate a narrow referral gate.

How It Works

Submit the form — takes under 10 minutes
We respond within 48 hours (urgent cases same day)
Initial assessment meeting at school or in the community
Programme match and mentor introduction
Regular progress updates to referring professional

Primary school programme

£150/session · Up to 15 pupils · Under £6 per child per hour

Referral Form

Start a referral now.

Your Name *

Your Role *

Organisation *

Email *

Young Person's Age

Urgency *

Reason for Referral *

All information treated in strict confidence. GDPR compliant.

Get In Touch

A real person will respond. Not a holding page.

David Zahedi · Founder & Director

Contact Details

Location

Inspired Gym, 82A Preston Road
Standish, Wigan, WN6 0HS

Email — General

hello@brighterfuturesproject.org.uk

Response Time

Within 48 hours · Urgent referrals same day

CIC Registration

No. 16599630 · Incorporated 22nd July 2025

General Enquiry

Send us a message.

Your Name *

Organisation

Email *

Enquiry Type *

Message *

Volunteer

We welcome mentors, coaches, outreach workers and professionals who want to contribute time or skills. All volunteers receive full safeguarding training and DBS clearance is arranged.

Express Your Interest

Some kids getevery advantage.These ones get us.

The system wasn't built for these kids.So we built something that was.

His gang was jailed for 150 years.He chose a different path.

What we do.

Mentorship

Fitness & Strength

Anti-Crime Intervention

Educational Re-engagement

Rehabilitation Support

Community Outreach

Every young person deserves a safe, accountable environment.

Ready to refer a young person or fund the work?

We didn't start this because someone asked us to.We started it because nobody else would.

Built from lived experience. Not theory.

The people who do the work.

What we actually believe.

Consistency Over Intensity

Honesty Over Comfort

High Expectations

Accountable to Evidence

You've read the story. Now be part of it.

Six ways we change direction for young people.

One-to-One Mentorship

Fitness, Strength & Conditioning

Anti-Crime Intervention

Educational Re-engagement

Rehabilitation Support

Community Outreach

Know a young person who needs this?

The numbers behind the work.And the people behind the numbers.

Five outcome domains. Tracked honestly.

This happens consistently. Not occasionally.

Excluded twice. Back in college now.

Two cautions. Now volunteers every Saturday.

41% attendance. Now 84%.

Want the full Impact Report?

Invest in measurable change for young people across the North West.

What your investment unlocks.

Everything a grant officer needs to say yes.

Let's have a real conversation. Not a pitch deck.

Refer a young person. We'll take it from here.

Anyone concerned about a young person.

How It Works

Start a referral now.

A real person will respond. Not a holding page.

Send us a message.

Volunteer

Some kids get
every advantage.
These ones get us.

The system wasn't built for these kids.
So we built something that was.

His gang was jailed for 150 years.
He chose a different path.

We didn't start this because someone asked us to.
We started it because nobody else would.

The numbers behind the work.
And the people behind the numbers.