New Chapters Fostercare director contributes to friend’s book about life of crime, violence and redemption
A contribution to a book about the story of a Shropshire man’s journey through his years of family life, drugs, crime and illness as a youngster, to present day recognition, purpose and fulfilment, has reignited his friendship with the director of a local foster care agency.
Thirty-eight-year-old Ben Butler is a substance and misuse Expert by Experience outreach worker for Shropshire Council’s Enable project, runs New Generation Coaching, which provides mentoring and motivational talks to help children and young people make better life choices, established New Gen FC for young people with neuro diverse needs, sponsored by AFC Telford United and is now an author. He recently won the 2025 Second Chance Achiever Award, which is sponsored by the Royal Air Force and the Royal British Legion.
Craig Walton, director at Shrewsbury based New Chapters Fostercare (NCF), first met Ben Butler when he was a social worker back in the early 2000s. They remained distant friends despite their different life choices and reunited following Ben’s work for a knife reduction crime charity.
As a black person growing up in a predominantly white town Ben’s cultural needs were never really supported or understood. His childhood marked by abuse, he eventually left to fend for himself. He joined a local football firm, and identifying them as his new family, became increasingly involved in the world of drugs, violence and knife-crime and in some cases political extremism. At 16 he served a 42-month term in Stoke Heath Prison and Young Offenders Institute. Following his time in prison, Ben joined the armed forces. However, the army’s discipline was not the turning point in his life.
Ben said: “I hated being black, which is why I hung out with some far right groups such as the EBF (English Border Front) and despite controlling and masking it with drugs and exceptional behaviour, I struggled with my epilepsy and what is now identified as ADHD and ASD. All I wanted to do was take my hurt out on other people. While I had become desensitised to the violence, my life was just full of constant negativity. I existed to fight or cause harm.”
The turning point was when my kids were born. It was a reality check, and through a gradual awakening I realised I needed to move in a different direction otherwise growing up for them was going to echo my life as a kid. They needed stability and love. I reconnected properly with Craig four years ago at an event for Steer Clear, the knife crime reduction initiative. I’m really pleased that he agreed to write a contribution. He’d made such an impact on my life, but I just couldn’t find the right time and way to tell him. It has brought us back together in a meaningful way, sealed the deal on our friendship and my book!”
Craig Walton said: “One of the core principles at NCF is identifying trauma, in fact it is what our agency’s ethos is centred on – a trauma-informed therapeutic approach of supporting children and young people. Ben has experienced more trauma than many people would in a lifetime, so to see him using that experience now to help others is quite simply inspiring. I’m immensely proud of him and what he has achieved.”
Ben Butler’s book Misunderstood is out now and available to order from: Waterstones and Amazon.
For more information about NCF visit: newchaptersfostercare.co.uk.
