BIG INTERVIEW: The spirit of self-discovery - Paul Oginsky, strategic director, Weston Spirit

It was the main reason why, in the late 1980s, three young men decided to start a charity to help give young people from disadvantaged backgrounds opportunities they themselves had never had.

Last week, Weston Spirit - set up by Falklands war veteran Simon Weston OBE, chief executive Ben Harrison and strategic director Paul Oginsky - celebrated its 15th anniversary at the Houses of Parliament. Since its inception, it has helped more than 40,000 young people to discover and develop their skills and, more importantly, raise their confidence and self-esteem.

Oginsky and Weston both grew up in deprived areas - in Liverpool and South Wales respectively - and were themselves no strangers to youthful misdemeanours: such as school suspensions for Oginsky and car theft charges for Weston. These shared backgrounds helped the two focus the Liverpool-based charity on helping poorer kids who were not academically gifted.