Walking out of HMP Hull onto Hedon Road with nothing but a transparent plastic property bag, a history of addiction, and a standard £76 discharge grant is not a fresh start. It is a setup for failure.

My name is Mike, and I know exactly what that "gate drop" moment feels like. I didn’t read about it in a textbook—I lived it. I am a recovering addict, I have survived street homelessness, and I have done three stretches inside HMP Hull.

When a person steps past those prison gates, the first 72 hours dictate the rest of their life. If they have no stable roof, no mobile phone to call probation, hardly anything to wear, and no money to survive the 5-week wait for Universal Credit, they are forced right back into survival mode. That is the exact moment people slide backward, relapse, or commit crime just to eat or stay warm.

I am launching Launchpad 72 to build a literal bridge over that terrifying 72-hour gap. Working alongside the directors at Adapt Resettlement CIC, we have built the digital foundation (https://launchpad72.co.uk), and now we need the community’s help to fund our physical material pipeline.

What is Launchpad 72?

We step in directly at the point of release to provide immediate material stabilization and professional multi-agency routing. We provide every guy starting from absolute scratch with a "Gate-Drop Pack":

A Pre-loaded Burner Phone: A basic mobile handset with introductory SIM credit so they can instantly contact probation, housing assessments, and support workers.

Personal Dignity: A clean, weather-appropriate tracksuit, fresh trainers, underwear, and toiletries packed into a durable backpack—instantly eliminating the public stigma of walking through Hull with a clear prison property bag.

Survival Bridges: Emergency food vouchers and public transport day-passes so they can reliably navigate city appointments on day one.

Beyond Day One: The Future Track

Immediate survival is just Step 1. Launchpad 72 is about building genuine community success stories. Once a client is stabilized, we guide them through the system step-by-step to build a permanent clean slate:

Helping them navigate Universal Credit, log online claims, and request emergency advance loans safely so they don't starve during the 5-week wait.

Teaching them how to utilize the Jobcentre’s Flexible Support Fund to unlock fully funded trade training (CSCS construction cards, SIA security badges, forklift certifications).

Providing practical assets like refurbished laptops for online study or independent pushbikes so they can commute reliably to local East Yorkshire shifts and apprenticeships.

Where Your Donations Go (100% Transparency)

We are starting from zero funding. Every single pound raised goes directly toward purchasing physical survival kits and transport infrastructure for the lads:

£15 buys an emergency clothing/hygiene kit.

£25 buys a functional mobile phone handset with a pre-loaded SIM card.

£45 funds a full, complete Day-One Gate-Drop Pack (Phone, Clothes, Backpack, Vouchers).

£75 helps us source and refurbish a commuter pushbike for a client who has secured a local job but has no way to get to work.

Why This Benefits the Whole of Hull

Crime, addiction, and homelessness don’t just affect the individual—they ripple across our entire city. They strain our emergency services, impact independent local businesses, and change how safe our families feel walking down the street.

Rehabilitation is a community asset. By supporting Launchpad 72, you are directly investing in safer streets, fewer victims of crime, and helping a person transform from a drain on the city into a settled, tax-paying, independent worker.

You don't need a fortune to help us build this bridge. Whether you can donate the cost of a coffee, sponsor a full survival pack, or simply hit "Share" to get our mission in front of local business owners—your support changes lives on Hedon Road.

Let’s do this properly. Let's give these lads a real landing pad, a clear roadmap, and zero excuses.

Thank you for standing with Launchpad 72.