‘I was in with the Yr7s P1 and thought it was excellent. I think he could do a really good staff session. The kind of language that is used that many staff might not know or recognise; the signs to look out for when children may be targeted or experiencing grooming; signs of gang involvement/influence; how to support students that may be at
risk; how to support families that may be at risk. He was an excellent presenter and clearly had a great deal of knowledge.’

​

Teacher

The Nobel School, Stevenage
 

​

‘I attended year 7 and 8 and I thought it was great. Really engaging and was adapted to each year group. I also overheard a year 7 say "He is making this fun, but it is a very serious topic"
 

Teacher

The Nobel School, Stevenage

​

​

“We are very grateful to Leo for giving our students an understanding of the dangers of county lines. His message struck a chord with students and staff alike.  There has been lots of positive feedback from the event; it raised further awareness and provided students with the knowledge and tools they need to stay safe and make informed choices.  We would highly recommend Leo to anyone looking for an inspirational speaker who is relatable to the 16-19 Further Education cohort ”

​

Lisa Moyniah

Learning Support

Nescot College, Epsom

​
 

Just to say how impressed I was with the talk in the AMT today by Leo.  Well done to you for getting that organised as it is really difficult getting presentations of such quality. I have sat through a few by the police and to be honest they can be hard work. Leo connected with the audience with his enthusiastic and real-life approach and got through a really difficult topic. It is only after hearing a talk of that quality that you realise that there is always something you don't know. County Lines is not a new thing, but it is a real blight on our society and if Leo's presentation has stopped just one of our students getting involved then that must count as success.
 

Teacher

Nescot College, Epsom

​

​

" I was lucky enough to observe Leo give a talk on county lines at a local secondary school. It’s not easy to keep 150 parents and children engaged for any length of time after school on a Friday evening, but over the course of the next two hours, when Leo spoke you could hear a pin drop. He told us what vocabulary to listen out for from the young people and what it meant. He explained which sort of ‘friends’ weren’t to be trusted and why. He even got some of the children to role-play likely scenarios. Leo’s talk is a must-see for teenagers and their carers, whether deemed ‘at-risk’ or not, as well as anyone involved in the well-being of young people in London and beyond."

 

Anna O’Neill

Broadcast Journalist – Reporter

BBC Radio London

BBC London News

​

​

My colleague thought it was especially good, because the emphasis was very much on educating the children how to keep safe and not scaring them. The `say no and go` was a simple but effective message which will be easily remembered by the children and this alongside the thumbs up and use of children to act out scenarios made the session very interactive and helped to keep their attention. A very worthwhile Friday afternoon!
 

Teacher

Roselands Primary School

Hoddesdon

​
 

Just a quick email to say a huge thank you for your work today! Thank you for educating and inspiring our staff and students to make good choices and to look out for the warning signs that are so prevalent in our area. This has been an incredibly important educational opportunity for all involved and your energetic delivery made the content memorable.

​

Miss C Reid, Assistant Vice Principal

Student Welfare and Personal Development

Middlesborough
 

 

The County Lines Assembly that Leo Powell delivered was excellent. All children were engaged throughout the assembly and the content was appropriate and relevant for the Year 4-6 children who attended. Leo's delivery supported children to access the content and he struck the right balance between humour and seriousness. The children continued to talk about the assembly afterwards and were clearly challenged by the content. Whilst it is quite a serious subject for the age of the children, it was clear from their response to Leo's questions that they had already heard about aspects of County Lines and it was therefore timely and important for them to hear. I would highly recommend the assembly to other primary schools. 

 

Headteacher

Hurst Drive Primary School, Waltham Cross

 

 

Leo was a very engaging facilitator who immediately captured students' interest. His assembly was informative, pitched well and energetic. He has improved students' understanding of the dangers of County Lines and we would welcome him back in future. 

​

Mr R Hanning, Head of Year

 Broxbourne Secondary School

 

 

" Leo came to talk to us about County Lines in January 2022. Although many students were aware of the existence of County Lines, few were aware of what devastating impact being involved with County Lines can have on young people's lives. Leo brought it to life for us in a sensitive but direct and honest way. We left the session feeling that students are now well equipped to recognise the warning signs of grooming and how to protect themselves, their peers, and their communities from drug gangs. In short, Leo was fantastic and by the last session, the corridor was filled with extra staff members coming to listen too. "

​

Mrs R Killi

English Teacher, Head of Year 9

PHSE Coordinator
Southend High School for Girls


" I had the opportunity to attend County Lines Training presented by Leo Powell and I am so glad I did.  It enabled me to grasp the landscape in a multidimensional way both as a parent and criminal justice expert. 

 

Leo's energy, passion for young people and mastery of the subject provides for a truly interesting journey through comprehensive slides backed up by researched evidence on this most awful situation facing our young people.  It is no longer a case of it's not in my back yard, or a problem for black families in London to deal with.  

 

We all have a stake in safeguarding vulnerable people, eliminating human trafficking and child sexual expliotation. This training is pertinent for professionals in education and those working with children caught up in this or at risk of being recruited, as well as drug users of all persuasions- especially middle class professionals need to know the devastating impact of recreational drug use. Parents also learn what to look out for and how to protect children online.  There is something to learn for everyone in this course because the topic cuts across all sections of society- I highly recommend it "   

​

Dr Andrea Charles Fidelis 
Founder and CEO | UK Digital Training Group 


"THANK YOU for a brilliant assembly, the children asked LOTS of questions afterwards - in fact we spent over an hour discussing it and other questions that were raised as a result of your assembly" 

Year 6 Teacher
Oakthorpe Primary, Palmers Green
 

​

Leo Powell’s workshop was excellent. He really gave the parents, staff, students and members of the community a real understanding of the dangers of county lines and gangs. A real insight into how we can all do more to support young people and stop them falling into the trap.

​

Liam Davis

Deputy Headteacher

Woodside High School, Woodgreen

​

​

" Superb session tonight with Leo Powell . His passion, knowledge and innate ability to simplify this horrible world of exploitation is second to none I've come across. If all professionals are empowered with his knowledge to help and guide young people so many more can be saved the trauma of county lines "

​

Amanda

Child Exploitation Detective

West Midlands Police

​

​

" I have known Leo Powell for a couple of years in my capacity as Community Safety Manager in North London. 

 

I have attended training by him, commissioned by local organisations on subjects related to youth crime, which have been insightful, interesting and well presented.

​

I have found him to be professional in his approach to work in this sector and is a charismatic and well-prepared speaker, who has an appealing style for a wide range of audiences.

I have invited him to speak and support Council run events many times and he has always provided an outstanding and professional service.

I am pleased to say that we have been able to include his work in a wider application for funding, which, if successful will enable us to enhance the provision locally, working with local people and organisations.

 

I have no hesitation in recommending Leo for this area of work."

​​

Andrea Clemons
Head of Community Safety
London Borough of Enfield

​

 

" Massive thanks to Leo Powell for delivering a really hard hitting educational session to parents, students and local community at Chace on County Lines. So many of our young teenagers are being sucked in by the techniques used and it’s essential that parents and students know more about County Lines so we can pick up early signs of grooming! Thanks for helping keep our kids safe as always
Leo Powell ." 

​

Pritam Vekaria

Deputy Headteacher

Chace Community School, Enfield

​

​

" Just wanted to say a big thank you for attending ECYPS youth forum and sharing your presentation on County Lines. This is a very heated topic and effecting many young people. The delivery of your presentation was absolutely amazing, you had a wealth of experience and knowledge on the topic. Organisations that attended found it very useful and informative, I noticed that everyone was trying to book you for more presentation. Thank you once again, I look forward to working with you again in the near future alongside parents in the community. " 

​

Shamima Rahman

Youth Development Coordinator

Enfield Children & Young Person's Services (ECYPS)

" Leo Powell's session on County Lines was informative and engaging . The assembly was age appropriate and hit the right balance of being truthful about the dangers iof County Lines but without being too scary. The children were engaged throughout and responded well to Leo. They particularly enjoyed the interactive parts of the session. All the children felt they had learnt more about County Lines and were aware of the persuasion techniques involved.
Thank you for a great session. "

Gaby Wison
Year 6 Teacher

Earlsmeade Primary School, Tottenham

​

​

" Leo’s presentation was pitched at the right level to suit the audience, he included slang words to help parents know what they meant, and he also explained how young people are groomed into the County Lines industry. It was a very powerful talk and helped equip parents to look out for signs but more importantly he spoke to the parents about their role in protecting their children from the risk of exploitation." 

​

Rosa Trout

Bournemouth Walk for Freedom

​

​

" It was a great event you organised.  I found everybody engaging and it was lovely to speak to the young people afterwards to get their opinions.  Leo was brilliant and he definitely captured his audience.

 It was clear to see how passionate everybody was and willing to go that extra mile to make the event work." 

​

Police Officer

Dorset Police

​

​

" I found it helpful as I have 3 boys and the terminology really stuck with me! I now understand what they are talking about. It has helped me to know what to look out for and how to safeguard my sons and make sure they are safe." 

​

Gill

Mother to three teenage boys 

​

​

" The insight Leo gave us helped me so much to understand what County Lines is as I was suspicious, but I am reassured my son is not involved, … it has helped me monitor my son more closely. " 

​

Leanne

Mother of 15 year old son 

​

​

" I think it was so useful like I didn’t know that was going on so was definitely useful for me and showed me what to look out for. Also Leo was engaging coz he was so passionate but also added humour which kept everyone interested " 

​

Sara (aged 16)

​

​

" The county lines training Leo provided was very informative and delivered with great passion which engaged the audience and captured there attention throughout. The subject matter was targeted perfectly for both adults and children, and meet with gratitude at the end of the training.  I would highly recommend Leo and the training he delivers.  The charity look forward to working with him again in future projects "

​

Shantel Elmaz

Project manager

Family based solutions, Enfield

​

​

" Was really good and learnt a lot more than I already knew. Leo’s a great speaker too. He’s very understanding and can answer any question! " 

​

Kelly (aged 16) 

​

​

"  Leo is not only an incredible communicator he has the ability to articulate his message to his audience with sincerity, humility and passion. I came away from Leo’s talk thinking that was one of the best contextually theological relevant talks I have ever heard. Leo used his own life story alongside the Gospel narrative to inspire, challenge and equip the audience to hope for more than their present reality. A truly humble man with an extraordinary gift!  " 
 

Tandy Ruoff

Church of England Ordinand

HMYOI Feltham Chapel

​

​

" It was a pleasure to have Leo's support during the formative years of my son. Leo is one of the youth workers from Church. He is passionate about helping the youths and was an excellent mentor and role model for the youth especially boys. His support help to keep my son on the right path. Thank you for your support Leo.
God bless you."

​

Mary (Mother)

​

​

" Fantastic County Lines Awareness training delivered to the team today by Leo Powell.  Great feedback from the staff and would highly recommend the training to other organisations. 
Thanks Leo Powell - you were a really engaging facilitator." 

​

Beverley Faulkner

Head of Housing Needs

Homes for Haringey

​

​

​

​