Reggie, 22, grew up in a tough council estate in Woolwich, EastLondon. ‘I didn’t have any positive role models growing up. There was no one that I saw and thought, “Yeah, when IgrowupIwanttobelike them.” My parents didn’t get along, I didn’t have much of a bond with my sister and I was average at school. I didn’t have much going for me back then.’

Reggie joined the Victory Youth Group (VYG) — the youth group of the Universal Church — which played a big role in who he is today.

‘Being in the VYG helped me steer away from a bad path; I wasn’t necessarily a bad person, but where I grew up made it really easy for me to go down a bad path. The VYG kept me busy with things to do. Messages like “you can do it”, “you are good enough” and “you can achieve it” were helpful because they were things I wasn’t hearing outside.’

It wasn’t long before Reggie attended the main services in the church, where his faith was challenged to go for his dream.

“I took on the challenge and went for it”

‘I believed I could do this. How can someone else believe in me more than I believe in myself? I took on the challenge and went for it’. That’s when he had a bold idea: to go to London’s wealthiest boroughs, knock on doors and ask people what they had done to amass their wealth. One of the doors he knocked on was that of a senior executive, Mr Price. After hearing Reggie’s story, Mr Price offered him a mentorship and gave him work experience at his firm.

One of Reggie’s biggest achievements to date was meeting the Prime Minister, Theresa May, to discuss the ‘Race at Work’ charter. At 22 years old, he can speak about what many couldn’t even imagine. Reggie’s story is a reminder that anyone can achieve their dreams.

Reggie Nelson