Dez is the CEO and Founder of Spark2Life, a ‘faith based but not faith biased’ charity and holds the seat for organisations led by or focused on racially minoritised people. In previous years, Dez worked as a sessional Chaplain in HMP ISIS and volunteered for a year at HMP Pentonville as a Counsellor.
During his training as a Therapist, Dez wrote an AQA accredited mentoring course that seeks to address desistance for people in contact with the CJS with a specialist lens on how to support those from black and racially minoritised communities. The course is appraised by the Youth Justice Board as "Effective Practice" alongside Spark2Life’s Group and 1:1 mentoring programmes.
Spark2Life’s bespoke work spreads across 9 boroughs both in and out of London where they partner with communities and professional networks to ensure young people get fair process and reasonable regard especially where systemic injustice is evident. Spark2Life’s vision is the prevention of crime and the protection and advocacy for people of all ages, especially young people and those who disproportionately face injustice in society.