Kelly Allen was a rebellious teenager consumed with anger who grew up in a rough estate in St Mary Cray.

Her childhood was rife with disruption and after being arrested for a petty crime, Kelly decided to ditch home and live on the street.

She would often sleep on park benches and on a couple of occasions found rest on the city night buses.

However, a Bromley youth club, JusB, "utterly changed" her life, and the inspiring woman now highlights the centre's work.

The key turning point was when her 15-year-old self was one day sitting on a park bench in Bromley.

"This lady and a couple of others walked over with hot chocolate and donuts," Kelly explained to News Shopper.

After airing her frustrations, and admittedly blaming others for all her problems, Kelly was invited to JusB to use the phone whenever she wanted.

A relationship and trust were eventually developed, and as Kelly put it, the youth club allowed her to see that she had a future.

After a spell in Devon to live with her dad, Kelly returned to the area with her baby daughter and visited the youth club, where staff suggested going back to college.

"I thought they were mad," Kelly said. "I saw myself as stupid and didn’t believe in myself."

She was illiterate at the time and was overwhelmed with the application form, but JusB stepped in to help.

Eventually Kelly, who enjoyed woodwork, earned good grades in Bromley College before going to university and obtaining an honours degree in Building Surveying.

Incredibly, she has now worked at Faithorn Farrell Timms (FFT) Building Surveyors in Orpington for three years where she has helped raise £24,000 for her old youth club.

Kelly, now 30, is happily married with two children and says she is on her way to being able to afford a mortgage.

She believes none of it would have been possible without being visited by youth club volunteers that day.

Now a JusB ambassador, Kelly said there is a clear correlation between rising crime in young people and the closure of youth clubs.

She is now urging teenagers in Bromley with the same struggles she once faced to go to JusB in College Road for a chat.

"It’s mindset," Kelly said when asked to offer advice to youngsters. "You are in control of your own future.

"No negative factors should stop you achieving your goals and there is help and support out there."

Through her work with FFT, Kelly will be uniting with JusB at the Burnt Ash Community Fun Day on July 13.

She hopes to encourage youngsters to join the youth club and to also visit FFT Practice for work experience.

Finally, Kelly added: "London and Bromley are in a scary time where knife crime, robbery and violence is no longer just in video games, it is on our streets and acted out by our children.

"I feel that the New Shopper’s support with our story would inspire some young people.

"I am just one of their success stories, there are thousands more."

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