DOING THEIR BIT
ALWAYS AN ALTERNATIVE FOR THIS MONTH’S SPOTLIGHT ON AN ORGANISATION CHANGING LIVES FOR THE BETTER IN SHEFFIELD, JOSEPH FOOD SITS DOWN WITH ANTHONY ‘BIG ANT’ OLASEINDE, THE FOUNDER OF ALWAYS AN ALTERNATIVE – A CHARITY SUPPORTING YOUNG PEOPLE IN SOUTH YORKSHIRE AND HELPING THEM TO MAKE POSITIVE LIFE CHOICES.
“Growing up, I did stuff that I shouldn’t have done,” Anthony Olaseinde tells me. “Why? Because people around me were doing it; I didn’t have the positive role models and you’re led to believe it’s your only option.” Plain-speaking but equally personable and earnest, you can immediately see why young people relate to Ant when he begins sharing his experience of life on the streets of Sheffield. Today, as director of the not-for-profit charity Always An Alternative, his role is to challenge and change the mindset of young people when it comes to violent crime and gang culture in the city. He explains that the turning point came after he began questioning the day-to-day life he was leading. “I didn’t enjoy what I was doing, I knew it was wrong. Why am I constantly trying to watch my back? Why am I looking to address issues with violence? I eventually thought to myself, ‘There has to be more to life than this. This doesn’t make sense.’”
Actively choosing to take a more positive path in life, Ant went to college and got the grades to study a degree in Computer Network Engineering at university. He gained first-class honours, achieved a masters in the same subject and eventually set up his own security company before moving into projects to help younger people make more informed choices with their lives. “I got into a place where I was able to start giving back, so that’s what I did.” Six years ago, Ant started ‘Keep Sheffield Stainless’ – a campaign to reduce the number of knives on the streets through education, support and amnesty. As well as six weapons bins dotted across the region (locations are all listed at alwaysanalternative.org. uk), people are able to contact Ant and he will personally and discreetly pick up the weapons himself. To date, this campaign has taken over 1,000 knives off the streets. Always An Alternative was formed as a deeper dive into the issues highlighted by Keep Sheffield Stainless. Their aim
GROWING UP, I DID STUFF THAT I SHOULDN’T HAVE DONE, BECAUSE PEOPLE AROUND ME WERE DOING IT, I DIDN’T HAVE THE POSITIVE ROLE MODELS AND YOU’RE LED TO BELIEVE IT’S YOUR ONLY OPTION. 16 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK