Ex-Para to drop in on trouble spot with a deal to set young straight

In his new role as an entrepreneur, he’s helping young people stay on the right side of the law. As a result of his efforts, our streets will become safer and fewer youngsters will follow a life of crime.

Mr Reynolds left the Army in 2009, and since then, he’s been delivering outdoor fitness classes and running military style corrective training courses through his private company.

He said yesterday: “The latter have now been swept up by my social enterprise Conamur, which means ‘We Endeavour’ in latin.”

Doncaster-based Conamur has secured cash from the European Social Fund (ESF) to carry out a contrcat with Luton Borough Council.

Mr Reynolds said: “We’ll be delivering an employment support programme for 19 to 29-year-olds who are at risk of slipping into gang culture and lawlessness. Our success will be dictated by us reaching 40 participants over 12 months; with 12 of them achieving sustainable paid employment. Our last programme had a 94 per cent success rate, so we hope this will be achievable.

“It’s just a shame we have to travel two hours south to deliver this project, as there is certainly a need for this sort of programme closer to home.”

Conamur’s other director is Dave Cooke, a former regular Army major in the Royal Military Police.

Mr Reynolds said; “He left the Army in June 2013 and now serves as a reserve army major in the same regiment. We share the same passion for helping mis-directed young people realise they are capable of more than disruptive behaviour. Ultimately, we want them to contribute to society by getting a job and being a good citizen.

“In addition to the Luton project, we also have a full time programme starting after Easter. This Doncaster-based project deals with excluded pupils. Our last project in Doncaster was with Danum Academy. We achieved a 93 per cent success rate there, by raising the aspiration of the pupils we coached in order for them to re-engage with normal study.

“These pupils were at risk of exclusion, and on their last warning.”