Careys Helping to Support Young People visiting Action4Youth
From Loose Cannon to Company Director – an Inspirational Role Model for Young People
Date: June 2023
Action4Youth have been proudly providing transformational programmes for young people for over 70 years. At its heart is the well-loved TCX (The Caldecotte Xperience) supporting over 6,000 local children every year to experience the benefits and joy of outdoor adventure!
Tom Wraight, Regional Director for the Midlands for the Carey Group has personally gotten involved with local charity.
Careys has a foundation that is committed to giving back to the community, Tom and his colleagues volunteered at TCX (The Caldecotte Xperience) by laying wheelchair-friendly footpaths on the site up to the yurt accommodation. This helps Action4Youth achieve the goal of making outdoor education fully accessible to everyone.
About Tom
The Caldecotte Xperience is in currently raising £1.4m to redevelop the centre, to transform it into a fully accessible and sustainable space for all young people regardless of ability or background.
Tom explains “This project and the other work Action4Youth does makes me want to get involved”.
He says that building opportunities for young people from tough backgrounds to succeed is the driving force behind him joining us. “In my role now, I can coach and help the next generation believe in themselves and help them find their skillset. I’m privileged to be in this position only because people encouraged and believed in me”.
“I wasn’t a model child or pupil.”
Tom admits “I wasn’t a model child or pupil”. He describes his younger self as something of a ‘loose cannon’. The perfect poster boy for working your way up.
He hasn’t always held the prestigious position he does today. “I walked out of school at 15 straight onto a building site”, explains Tom who has been with Careys since 2003 but who started out as an onsite kerb layer / groundworker.
“I worked on jobs up and down the country including two major schemes for GlaxoSmithKline where I was promoted to Project Manager. Following that I was made Contracts Manager for the Milton Keynes Region and today I’m Regional Director for the Midlands”.
“There’s an avenue for everyone out there”.
Alongside his daughter Madison, a trainee quantity surveyor, Tom is also taking part in Action4Youth’s educational Inspiration Programme. “It can be really difficult for youngsters to work out which road they want to take. I want to give them hope, to be that person young people can approach and ask questions of. There’s an avenue for everyone out there.”
GET INVOLVED!
The Capital Appeal – Building for a Better Future
Support the redevelopment of the main building and infrastructure at The Caldecotte Xperience which will significantly enhance accessibility and functionality to create a vibrant, exciting and adventurous platform for fully-inclusive activities for young people.
From Loose Cannon to Company Director (action4youth.org)
