A social enterprise selling quality vintage sportswear at affordable prices has opened at South Shields Transport Interchange in Tyne & Wear.

The HoodEx shop is the brainchild of reformed offender and serving British Army military guard Ricky Gleeson. Profits from the shop go toward supporting and providing training for vulnerable young people.

Inspired by his own experiences of crime, homelessness, and drug abuse, Ricky wanted to start a business with a strong social value that would support young ex-offenders and people at risk of offending,

Ricky started with a stall at South Shields Market, but after moving into a vacant unit at the town’s transport interchange his dream has come true. HoodEx brand repurposes used clothing for resale, and Ricky hopes it will allow him to both make a living and use some of the proceeds to support young people and steer them away from trouble into sports.

Ricky’s support extends to providing volunteers support with fitness training from fully licensed PTIs, wellness sessions, driving lessons, help in obtaining ID such as passports, healthy food, travel expenses, and individual support designed to help them into full-time paid employment.

Ricky, 46, of South Tyneside, said: “It’s a huge moment for me to be able to move into my own shop. I’m really proud. I want to thank the team at Nexus for being so accommodating.

“I really needed a unit to take the business to the next level, and the empty shop at South Shields Interchange was an ideal location for me.

“A lot of hard work has gone into getting to this point and I’m so excited that I’ve managed to get the place up and running.

“HoodEx is a community interest company. We sell repurposed quality clothing at affordable prices, and a percentage of the money from that is used to benefit the community. In this case it goes towards supporting young offenders and those who could be at risk of offending.

“This can be support with fitness training and gym memberships, and other things like travelling expenses and driving lessons. A big part of what we do is supporting young people to get more exercise, particularly boxing training, which is a really great way to steer young people away from bother. It’s something that was a big help to me when I was younger.

“I’ve taken inspiration for this venture from my previous struggles when I was younger when I found myself lured into a world of petty crime, which led to a few spells behind bars.

“I’ve also been homeless and used to sell the Big Issue in Newcastle city centre. I’ve since turned my life around following twelve years in the Royal Navy. Now HoodEx is my way of helping others avoid making the mistakes that I made.

“South Shields interchange is a great location for us. I’ve been able to engage with a lot of the young people who come in, and I even think it has actually helped in a small way to reduce incidents of anti-social behaviour there.”

James Parkinson, Head of Corporate Contracting and Commercial Income at Nexus, said: “The HoodEx social enterprise is an excellent new addition at South Shields Transport Interchange. It’s a fantastic project which is going to help a lot of local young people in our region.

“It’s been great to work with HoodEx to help them turn their ideas into reality. We’re always seeking to work with organisations that are looking for premises and would encourage anyone who thinks a Metro Station could be a suitable base to get in touch with us.”