When Emmanuel George Badoe was taken on as a youth worker in 2010, it was his dream job.
Over the next seven years, he was able to help shape young peoples' lives, and takes justifiable pride in the difference he made.
But two years ago he and several of his colleagues were made redundant - a move he says has left a huge gap in the community.
Emmanuel, 40, worked at a youth centre in Ladbroke Grove, West London, providing help and support for young people.
During his years working for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, he was part of the serious youth violence team, providing targeted support to at-risk youngsters.
Like hundreds of youth workers across the UK, he is fully qualified but cannot find work in the sector he loves - despite the need never having been greater.
A Mirror Online investigation by cuts.
Campaigners have told Mirror Online there is "no doubt" the cuts to youth services have led to an increase in knife crime, and a London council leader said young people have paid with their lives.
Kensington and Chelsea now employs just eight youth workers, figures released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal.
Emmanuel told Mirror Online that youth workers play a vital role in the lives of young people who are at risk from gangs.
He said: "It helped to get to know them on a personal level, to see the ways you could support them to get out of that life.
"We can tap into what's going on with them, we can see where we can target them and see what's causing them to do what they do.
"It was challenging, but we were able to steer people from a criminal lifestyle.
"There was one guy that was selling drugs, but we told him that if he was a full time worker he could earn just as much and not have to worry about the risk of getting stabbed or people trying to attack him.
"One thing I found was the reason a lot of young people get into selling drugs is to do with the adrenaline.
"The fact they can make £100 in a single night is driving them to go back.
"But I've seen a lot of people who would have gone down that road, but they now work full time or they've gone to uni."
But he said there is a feeling among youth workers that the importance of their work is not recognised - which makes them easy targets for cuts.
"I don't think it's looked up to like it should be," he said.
"We know what impact we're having, but an outsider doesn't always see that.
"We cover so may different aspects of young peoples' lives, we're their mentors, we're their counsellors, we're their teachers."
Emmanuel is desperate to get back into youth work, and hopes the devastating public service cuts can be addressed to allow him to start making a difference again.
It is a situation that's all too familiar to Anna Smee, who was chief executive of UK Youth for five years.
She told Mirror Online she believes cuts have cost lives.
Ms Smee, speaking on her last day in post, said: "It's extremely concerning, and we've started to see the impact of this.
"We've been saying for years that we need to invest in youth services, and we're starting to see the correlation between cuts and serious violence.
"It's absolutely horrendous when you lose a young person and a lot of the organisations we work with have experienced this."
The charity chief said she regularly received calls from organisations across the UK saying they were unable to continue because of scarce funding.
It means young people are losing vital support and are unable to get guidance about issues as diverse as violence, employment and relationships.
Ms Smee said: "Young people are saying there isn't anyone they can have those conversations with.
"Even if their parents are well intentioned, they're not always available.
"Youth workers give them positive adult role models, a safe space and helps provide positive activities."
UK Youth works with around 5,000 organisations across the UK to provide services, and currently reaches 1.6 million aged between 10 and 24.
This is roughly 10% of the 11.6million children and young people in this age bracket, and Ms Smee said the youth service sector needs to do more.
"There should be a safe place for every young person within walking distance from their home, it's got to be accessible and it's got to be free," she said.
"It needs to offer diverse activities, it's not good enough to come along and play pool."
Patrick Green, chief executive of the Ben Kinsella Trust - which was set up in memory of 16-year-old Ben, who was stabbed to death in North London in 2008 - said: "I think there's no doubt amongst everybody that works in this sector that the fact youth services have been decimated is a contributor to the increase in knife-related violence.
"What your research is highlighting is that when young people don't get the support or the diverting activities they need, it makes it easier for gangs to recruit disaffected young people."
Mr Green said 20,000 youth workers are needed across the country to address the damage done by cuts.
