Gary has been involved in community leadership for 15 years. Most recently as an initiator of the pioneering work of the Eden project in Manchester where he has built a widely acclaimed project which supports children, families and young people in one of the toughest neighbourhoods in Britain.

He has recently been featured in two national newspapers; the Guardian and the Times which both ran articles commending his outstanding contribution to regeneration in East Manchester. His work has also been praised in a parliamentary debate which focussed on the value of community volunteering. Gary has been instrumental in initiating and developing community projects in Leeds and Bradford as well as establishing a wider network of community projects across the UK.