FROM HANDSWORTH TO THE HEADLINES

The Story of
REAL DIRECTION

REAL DIRECTION was born from lived experience. Our founder, Luke Cato, grew up in Handsworth, Birmingham. As a former excluded pupil, he saw firsthand how easily young people could be drawn into cycles of crime and violence, and how traditional education often failed to connect with them.He was, in his own words, wanted more from life.

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“a man destined for prison or the grave.” But he knew he wanted more from life.

Driven by a passion to change the narrative for the next generation, Luke founded REAL DIRECTION. He started by self-funding an interactive app, determined to use technology to create relatable, authentic stories that could steer young people away from harm.

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That single-minded focus on authenticity and credibility is the foundation of everything we do. We are not a corporate training company; we are a team of creatives, youth workers, and technologists, many with our own lived experience of the issues we tackle. We believe that to reach young people, you have to respect their reality.

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This personal mission has grown into an award-winning organisation, collectively reaching over 100,000 young people through our platform, productions, training, and community delivery.

We are trusted by schools, colleges, youth justice services, and

local authorities nationwide. Our story is the proof that a different path is always possible.