User Voice Initiative Aids Young Ex-Offenders

22 MAY 2009

LONDON - Saatchi & Saatchi London was recently involved in a new initiative launched by the charity, User Voice, to give invaluable work experience to young ex-offenders and marginalised individuals.

The scheme aims to reduce re-offending by motivating and encouraging young people who have more often than not been excluded from society and by showing them an alternative side to life to the one they have so far experienced.

User Voice collaborated with the agency to have ex-offender David Brown*, 22, and Chris Smith*, 16, - not "yet" in custody but known to the local criminal justice agencies - work on the new T-Mobile advertising campaign, 'Sing-along', that culminated in more than 13,500 people being filmed singing karaoke in Trafalgar Square.

Founder of User Voice, Mark Johnson (pictured), has written about the experience in Society Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/may/20/mark-johnson-inside-out

* Names changed for confidentiality reason