John Hoskison visits pupils to share words of wisdom.

On Friday 12th November, inspirational speaker John Hoskison visited Sixth Form pupils for a talk about his life, in particular the consequences of poor decision making in relation to drink driving.

As a child, John entered the world of professional golf, something he has stated had a huge impact on his life and shaped his career. However, John soon experienced a moment which changed his life, this time for worse when he hit and killed a cyclist after accepting a drink at a professional golf event. John was sentenced to 3 years in prison, and as a result changed his outlook on life. John wrote about his time in prison in a book, and vowed to himself he will make it a mission to share his story with young people to prevent the same situation which happened to him.

Over time, John has told his story over 800 times, and spoke to around a quarter of a million pupils. He commented that he does it in order to help save lives, and provide support to young people who may be experiencing a period of peer pressure. John was incredibly supportive towards pupils, understanding the social aspect of being a young person, the pressures of wanting to say yes in difficult situations. During his talk, John said “One day there will be a time in your life when you are faced with a line you do not want to cross. Do you ever think about what will happen if you say no? It may well save a life, or further show strength and confidence.”

We thank John for visiting and sharing inspirational words with our pupils, and staff for organising the evening.