Sheffield teen who turned his life around to feature in TV documentary

A Sheffield teenager who has turned his back on a life of youth nuisance to become a charity fundraiser is to feature in a new TV documentary.
Jasmyn Chan.Jasmyn Chan.
Jasmyn Chan.

Lewis Pask readily admits that he was a young tearaway when growing up as a teenager in the Manor area of Sheffield.

But after realising his destructive behaviour was of no benefit to anyone, he turned over a new leaf and set his sights on raising money to help others in the community.

Lewis Pask.Lewis Pask.
Lewis Pask.
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He and his friends set up the Jazzytastic charity fundraising team in memory of their friend, tragic hit-and-run victim Jasmyn Chan, who died aged just 14 when she was hit by a car in May 2014.

The charity cause has raised thousands of pounds for the Little Princess Trust, which provides real hair wigs to children suffering hair loss during cancer treatment, as Jasmyn had cut off her locks for the cause shortly before her death.

Now Lewis’s remarkable journey from teen rogue to big-hearted community fundraiser will feature as part of the ITV documentary show Fixers. The 19-year-old, who now lives in Norfolk Park, said: “I was going down a bad path.

“I was hanging around with the wrong crowd, drinking alcohol from the age of about 12 and getting into fights.

Lewis Pask.Lewis Pask.
Lewis Pask.
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“But when I was in my mid teens I just had a gradual realisation that I needed to change my ways.

“I wanted to turn my life around and help others.”

Following Jasmyn’s tragic death, he and his friends started organising fundraising events for the charity cause that was close to her heart.

The group organises an annual charity football match, the most recent of which in May raised more than £2000.

Lewis and his friends also support other charities, and in 2014 they completed a sponsored run from Birley Community College, which Jasmyn attended, to Sheffield United’s home ground Bramall Lane, in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust.

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Lewis estimates that charity fundraising events he has been involved in over the years have raised about £15, 000 for a range of charities.

He said: “We just felt we needed to do something in her name and the support we have had for the events have been amazing.”

He applied to feature on the Fixers documentary show in the hope inspiring other young people who are going down the wrong path to turn their lives around.

The show is part of an organisation that aims to highlight how young people have ‘used their past to fix the future’ and make life better for others.

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Producers recently visited Sheffield to film interviews with Lewis in Norfolk Park and the city centre. It is due to be shown on ITV on Thursday, September 8, at 6pm.

Lewis, who works as a labourer, said: “I hope that a lot of kids watch it who are from a similar background to me and I hope that they see that you can change your ways, be a good person and do good things to help others.

“I think there is really nothing better than doing a good deed for someone who needs help.”