Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2006 | Page 29

INTERVIEW
taking out holidaymakers on
angling trips during the summer – a
role which won him the nickname
‘Captain Charlie’.
By this time, Cathy – who it turned
out had a boyfriend anyway – was
out of the picture because Charles
had fallen for her friend Mary, who
became his wife in 1974.
When, after five years, the boat
owner sold up, Charles and Mary
went into the fish business together,
initially selling on a van round,
and subsequently from a shop in
Node Hill, Newport, for 15 years.
Hancock’s Fishmongers – which
for its last five years was based in
premises at Newport Bus Station –
built a high reputation and was the
winner of a string of awards from
the Sea Fish Industry body.

“We help them
start believing in
themselves”
However, by this time Charles – a
long-serving member and elder of
the Island’s Community Church
– was looking for a new challenge.
It came to him in the form of
an approach from the Hampton
Trust charity, which works with
disadvantaged young people.
Because of his strong background
in youth work with the church,
Charles was headhunted by the
charity to work as a bail supervisor
with young offenders.
He did that job for over three
years, and then moved into to what
could be said to be the more positive
arena of prevention work – helping
youngsters before they get into
trouble, by playing a mentoring role
in their lives.
Now the IW Manager for
the Hampton Trust, Charles is
responsible for training other people
to mentor young people up to the
age of 17 who are facing difficulties.
“A major problem with a lot of the
young people is low self-esteem”
says Charles.
“We try to raise their horizons
and help them to start believing in

“The lack of parenting skills on the Island is appalling. It’s not easy - kids
don’t come with a handbook,
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