Dan Hartley
Dan joined abandofbrothers in 2008 and was influential in initiating the first ‘Quest for Community’ for young men. With over 10 years experience of frontline youth work, primarily within the Youth Justice and Leaving Care sectors in London and Sussex, Dan continues to play a key role in the growth and development of the Charity.
“For me, abandofbrothers felt like the missing piece in a jigsaw. It sounds obvious now but, prior to my involvement, I’d never realised how lucky I was to have mentors in my life. I’d also never acknowledged how vital it is for young men to have older men around them when making the transition to adulthood.”
Time and again, Dan has witnessed how destructive behaviour is an inevitable consequence of unresolved hurts and an often tough and heartbreaking back-story. It’s clear to him that, in order to break the cycle of offending and violence, we have to attend to these wounds as well as modelling something different.
“I believe it’s imperative we take action now to bridge the divisions that exist between between generations of men and reverse the sense of mistrust, disconnection and powerlessness that exists within large sections of our society”.
As someone who’s passionate about creating safer, more inclusive communities, Dan sees abandofbrothers as the ideal grass-roots movement for creating positive, sustainable change. He currently live in Sussex with his wife and two children and is proud to have their love and support on this remarkable journey.