Phil Pearce - Director

Phil Pearce - Director

I’m the director of Life Experience and started it unofficially in 2015. This was shortly after being released from my second prison sentence which ended 10 years of addiction.
I talk about the consequences attached to addiction, the effect on my family, the time I had to be resuscitated, prison and the choices we make.
I write spoken word pieces to compliment the work we do and love creating new projects.
Hayden Lee Jessop

Hayden Lee Jessop

I got involved with Life Experience after meeting Phil and talking about me spending 7 weeks in jail for common assault.
After my release I was linked in with a charity called St. GILES TRUST, they gave me a business mentor because they knew my lifestyle was spiralling out of control before my custodial sentence. 
I was involved within a criminal fraud ring & used to befriend people for my own personal gain, I carried a knife and I was a persistent street robber.
I changed because I wanted a clearer life away from crime, to actually be somebody in life and set aspirations.
I now run a homeless organisation with the help of Servo and I’ve been given a chance from Life Experience to tell my story to the younger generation and try to make positive steps to prevent youngers going into the criminal world.
David Saltonstall

David Saltonstall

I was brought in a housing estate in Edinburgh. I had to adapt to the situation I was in so fell in with a crowd who were up to no good. It was like another family but I felt I wasn’t judged for the things I’d done wrong. I started sniffing glue and then progressed to harder drugs until I found one I thought was helping me deal with me and my anxiety. I got into a lot of trouble and found myself in police stations and then prison. I moved to Halifax when I was 22 because I thought Edinburgh was a bad place (it wasn’t the place, it was me!). I got into the same kind of trouble and ended up in Armley prison with drug related offences. I’ve not been back in prison for many years but still sold and took drugs most of my life. I have 2 beautiful girls and my partner has put up with my behaviour for 26 years. We are very strong today and talk about any issues we have and that in itself is a miracle because I always blamed everyone else for the carnage I caused. Today I work in a service that provides a place to live and a daily program for people with addiction problems, mental health and offenders . We encourage and support men who would like to improve their lives. I love my job as it can be so rewarding and to see people’s lives change in front of you is amazing. When I was in treatment back in 2014. I was always saying I’d love to speak to the younger generation to give some advice on how it was for me and if my experience can help one child look at themselves and be willing not to go down my path, I will be so happy. I hope my experience can come in helpful for the roll I have with Life Experience.

Rob Brown

Rob Brown

Background; Mother had a brain injury which meant she couldn’t care for me and my sister properly, my dad was removed for domestic violence when we were young and I turned to selling drugs for other people to feel like I belonged somewhere and could get out of what seemed like a hopeless situation at home.

I realise now that many people could’ve helped me if I’d known they were there, I realised my story could’ve become far more positive a lot earlier if I’d just made the right connections with people who understood.
In school I overcame Child Neglect/abuse, the consequences of selling drugs for other people and what I would do differently; Be completely honest about my home life with at least one person at school.