Breaking Barriers, Building Futures: Darren Alexander and ACE Bristol

Darren Alexander is the Managing Director of Aspiration Creation Elevation in Bristol. Despite coming from a loving home, he recognised that as a young man he was beginning to stray down ‘the wrong path’. Sat in a court room, watching his mother’s reaction as he was tried, he decided he would never be in that position again. He would change his future. In doing so, he has changed thousands of others.   

“I’m Bristol born and bred, which was great growing up in many ways, but also had its challenges. I felt a lot of pressure from society. Me and my peers were collectively judged as young Black boys. There were certain stereotypes and certain expectations; to be doing the wrong things, to not make much of ourselves, and that took its toll. As I got a bit older, around the time I did my GCSEs, I found myself going down the wrong path, making some bad decisions. Of course, we have to take responsibility and be accountable for some of our choices. But at the same time, there wasn’t a lot of opportunity and we didn’t see positive prospects.  

“We reacted to what was in front of us on a day-to-day. I would never deem myself as being in a gang. But you had your friendship affiliations. And with that came a certain level of loyalty and a certain level of mischief as well, because you’re trying to be seen. You’re trying to be heard. You have to be respected. You’re trying to express yourself, and if there aren’t positive channels to put that into, then you ended up doing the wrong thing. It was just what we thought was normal, because that is how things always were and what society thought of us too.  

“I was involved in violent altercations and law breaking. I was arrested and sat in a court room, that was the start of changing my future. My mum was there, looking at me, then looking at the judge. Of everyone in the world, I wanted to make her proud, and in that moment I realised this was not the way for me. I knew I was better than this. I knew all my friends were better than this. But not all of us got the chance to turn things around and find a different path. I knew then, that and I was going to try and help anyone else that wanted to find that different path as well. 

Taking that first step

“I had a wake-up call and that happened at the same time I first attended a local youth project in my area.  It was something I’d never experienced before, because it involved being creative through music, having a mentor and a safe space. I felt I had something to bring to the world. I knew I wanted to make my family proud, so with the help of my youth group I started to really get myself together and work harder with more focus and more purpose.  

“After time, I became a music mentor in my area. I’d been doing this across the city for a few years, and then in 2012 we were faced with huge cuts to services. It felt like lots of opportunities for young people were being lost. I couldn’t let this happen, so along with other peers who’d been on a similar path, we took a leap and set up ACE. We didn’t want to just continue, we wanted to enhance. We wanted something long lasting and to create a legacy for people with a similar background to us.” 

Darrens work has directly helped thousands of young people across Bristol.  

“I ask ‘What are you about? Not your friends. Not society says I should be a rapper or footballer. Put all that aside. What do you actually like to do? 

“We start with a micro change. It might seem small, but it is a breakthrough that once wasn’t possible. Young people not truanting as much and getting up and into school, joining a sports club. They want to try and do more for themselves. And the micro changes accumulate into something bigger. Young people seeking attainment, going on to further education, starting their own businesses, volunteering and become community leaders. Whatever the change, they’re moving towards becoming the best version of themselves and reaching their unique potential.