A man from Chessington is sharing his story of homelessness, addiction, and abuse to help others to rebuild their lives.

Lee Duncan, who attended Southborough High School, is the founder of Walk the Streets Coaching and Mentoring and the creator of the Rewrite Framework - a method built on three simple but powerful questions that helped him rebuild his own life, and which now helps others find clarity, resilience, and direction.

Duncan lost both his parents at the age of ten, and as a teenager, he experienced abuse and rejection from his uncle, causing him to feel as though he "couldn't trust anyone".

In an exclusive interview with Kingston Nub News, Duncan said: "I felt like a number, like I didn't matter and had no identity."

At 18, Duncan found his grandfather dead and became homeless shortly after.

While homeless, he turned to alcohol and drugs to help him cope, and spent nights sleeping rough and "feeling invisible".

Duncan was also diagnosed with ADHD and ASD in his mid-twenties.

Speaking about growing up as a neurodivergent, Duncan said: "Growing up, , I never understood myself nor the world around me.

"I was never great academically, but throughout my working career and in one of my previous roles, I was one of two or three people within that organisation that never went to university, but I was more than capable of doing the job - hitting targets higher than 90% and passing satisfaction rate.

"And getting my diagnosis explained why I never quite fitted into the system that wasn't built for people like me."

However, while homeless, Duncan was part of an alcohol and drug support service, Catalyst, where a woman asked him three questions that helped him rebuild his life.

Duncan the used these questions, which he says are "simple but powerful" to create the Rewrite Framework, which encourages people to achieve their goals.

"The framework, which I've developed over a long period of time, is about adapting the 'what can I do?' mindset to thinking 'how can I do it?'," he said.

"It's also about managing and using goal settings, like manageable steps to be able to work towards getting that dream job or whatever it may be in life."

He added: "This framework is about treating people like humans, not numbers or tick boxes.

"The government talks a lot about tackling homelessness by often just numbers and targets. But, if you change anything in the statistic, you change the outcome and that doesn't reflect real life."

Duncan says that his framework can be adapted to any aspect of life, whether it be finding a job or hiring a new employee.

Today, Duncan is also the founder of Walk the Streets Coaching and Mentoring, which helps people, charities, and businesses achieve their goals with the Rewrite Framework.

Lee Duncan is the founder of Walk the Streets Mentoring and Coaching (Image supplied)

He said: "I know what it feels like to be unseen and unheard. Three questions gave me a way forward, and now I use them to help individuals, charities, and organisations rewrite their futures. I believe everyone has the potential to overcome their barriers and create change.

"I've begun sharing my story and the Rewrite Framework through talks and workshops."

Duncan hosts mentoring talks and workshops (Image supplied)

During his talks and workshops, Duncan usually shares his story with the hope it will inspire others.

He recently spoke with coaches from Tennis For All (through disability sport advisor Mark Bullock), showing how resilience tools can support people facing homelessness through the power of sport.

Duncan recently spoke with coaches at Tennis For All (Image supplied)

He also delivered a talk at the York Road Project in Woking, inspiring residents with his journey from "trauma to transformation".

Additionally, Duncan has been working with a client at Kingston Churches Action on Homelessness (KCAH) after a staff member put him forward, helping that individual build confidence, clarity, and hope for the future.

The Rewrite Framework is designed to meet people where they are, helping them reflect on what they want, how to get there, and what might be holding them back.

It has applications for individuals working on personal growth, charities supporting vulnerable communities, and organisations wanting to build stronger, more resilient teams.

Duncan is now offering coaching, mentoring, and public speaking services to charities, community groups, and organisations across the region, and says he hopes to see the Rewrite Framework adopted more widely to inspire lasting change.

Growing up, Duncan's family was on benefits, so he says his personal goal is that he does not "want to be on benefits".

Duncan says he wants his framework "to be piloted and tested in organisations and services, and potentially, in the future, for the government to then take it themselves".