25/12/2025
Archie Xmas Day Story (strap in) â and why it birthed our new non for profit community interest company.
You might be thinking, Christmas Day?!, why launch this today? Well, Christmas Day has always been a special day. But since 2019 itâs had even more importance, hereâs why.
In the morning I drove over to Harlow hospital to see my grandmother Margaret. I went to the palliative care unit to meet my Dad, his wife and my two brothers so we could all open our presents with nan. I sat by her bed holding her hand talking to her about grandad and all the good times we had growing up. I told her how important she was to me and thanked her for everything she did for me over the years. Both her and my grandad were amazing people and she did amazing on her own after he passed, living without him for over 20 years.
I looked around the room; she was surrounded by pictures of her family, my children, her grandchildren and many special people in her life, all of which ultimately came from her. So much life came from this one special person.
I felt so grateful in that moment and, looking back, Iâm happy I got to talk to her that day, for what I now know was the last time weâd speak.
After leaving the hospital I went to pick up my best mate Lee who didnât have anyone to spend Christmas Day with that year. We got back to the house and Archie spent time showing Lee all his new toys. One of which was his new 50cc orange-and-black motorbike. Archie really wanted to give his new toy a go but we agreed rather than use it now weâd go after dinner. Lunch was amazing; we had an absolute feast.
Archie rushed through his in anticipation of being able to use his bike, we kept having to tell him âslow down, youâll get indigestion.â Needless to say, as soon as weâd all finished he had us marching over the field in all his new protective dirt-bike clothing, ready for the first rip.
Iâd known for a while this kid was just different; thereâs something about him, a spark, a look in his eye, just a bit extra.
I showed him where the biting point was and hadnât even shown him how to use the brakes before he turned to me and said âBYE DAD,â twisting the throttle wide open and ripping off at top speed. Me, Lee and Harrison (his brother) were laughing so hard we fell over, getting soaked in the process, rolling around on the floor. I quickly got up and started shouting âTHE BRAKES, THE BRAKES!â Archie took a big wide arc and proceeded to come back toward us at full speed, flying past laughing like he was buzzing the tower in Top Gun.
When I finally managed to get him to come back to earth I showed him where the brakes were and he carried on riding around, a bit slower, getting used to the bike. Itâs certainly a memory that will stay with me forever, but itâs nowhere near as powerful as what happened next.
We came back in, got cleaned up, and Archie decided to watch a film on TV in the front room with everyone. I was in the kitchen sending someone a message saying happy Christmas when I heard Archie say, âDaddyâs nan just died!â
I was taken aback; it wasnât so much the words but the tone, completely dead-pan, clear, concise, just factual. It got my back up, if Iâm honest, so I said, âWhat did you just say?â He repeated, âYour nanâs just died.â I said, âHow do you know that?â He replied, âI donât know.â
First thing I did was call my dad to tell him what Archie had just said, bear in mind Archie was only five. Dad told me theyâd just got home from the hospital and nan was okay when they left an hour ago. I felt relieved; we had a chat and I hung up.
Ten minutes later my phone rang. Itâs my dad again, who tells me, âHeâs right, she has died,â and it was almost exactly when Archie said the words.
To say this spun me out is an understatement. I couldnât get my head round it. It had me questioning everything: âWho is this kid?â If I hadnât seen exactly where he came from Iâd be questioning that too.
Right then and there I decided I was all in 1,000,000% on DJ Archie. I knew this child is here to guide me and shape everything I do moving forward.
Fast-forward to 2024 and the launch of the DJ Archie School. Iâd been saving personally and had just received the inheritance, after years of probate, from my nan, which gave me the confidence and financial buffer to give up my well-paid job and dive into teaching full-time.
So when the idea to start a non for profit kept nudging me, I already knew the drill: build the quality first, prove it works, then give it away.
As you all know Iâve spent the last two years running the programme as a paid-for service as the DJ Archie School, logging every outcome, every bit of feedback, every five-star review.
That paid phase wasnât about profit; it was my R&D lab, stress-testing the curriculum until I could walk into any funding meeting and say, âHereâs the data, this changes lives.â
The reviews did more than pay the bills; they unlocked grants and partnerships so I could finally flip the model. Same mentors, same measurable impact, zero price tag for anyone who canât afford it.
Which is why today, Christmas Day, the day Archie reminded me that some signals are bigger than we are, itâs the perfect day for launching our CIC
Weâre taking the DJ Archie School proven framework national: training UK-wide mentors, verifying need respectfully, and making sure a kid in rural Inverness gets the same life-broadening experience as one in inner-city London.
Free doesnât mean âliteâ, it means the best of what we have, delivered to the people who need it most, financed by the people who believe in the outcomes weâve already shown them. And because change ripples outward, every intervention is designed to broaden life-experiences not only for our students but for their families, opening new conversations, aspirations and possibilities around the kitchen table long after the session ends.
The team weâve put together for this project is insanely talented and weâre super excited to have everyone on board. We will introduce you to the team over the next week or so.
Margaret gave us life; Archie gave us the nudge; the paid years gave us the proof.
Now we give it away for free to those who canât afford it.
Hoping you all have a had the best Xmas đ
Big love for 2026
Essex & Archie
(Company name to be revealed on Monday once itâs fully incorporated. Iâve had the logos and social pages made for a while, hereâs an mock up though until itâs official)
RIP Nanny Margaret x
