13/06/2026
Hi all.
I'm Ricky Gleeson, the founder and commercial and fitness manager of HoodEx. I racked up a load of convictions as a young man, then sorted myself out, got into the armed forces in my 30's, spent 14 years doing that, and now I build wind turbines offshore for a living. Throw in a decade of homelessness and a sprinkle of drug addiction for good measure and it's safe to say I've lived a life.
This whole thing started with me selling hoodies, then using the money to pay for gym memberships for ex‑offenders and young people at risk of offending… Hence the name HoodEx.
For my bit of The Turnaround Project I'm gonna run a vintage and HoodEx branded sports clothes shop downstairs in The Hub, but I need 6 volunteers to help me. We'll hand‑pick items, treat them, up‑cycle stuff, and make our own branded clothing on site.
The catch is that whoever volunteers to do that with me, has to then train in the gym upstairs, often with one of our fitness instructors, eat the healthy food we provide, and basically get into tip‑top shape so we can set an example to the young people who come to join us.
We'll then be on hand to advise and mentor any young people that get referred to us.
Would be well suited to people who've been in a bit of bother (no s*x crimes or crimes against children obviously) and know that's a crap way to live, and would like to steer people away from making the same mistakes we did.
DM me if this sounds like something of interest.
