John Evans developed a social purpose in life following his father's footsteps who was a town mayor and general manager at Westinghouse Brake and Signal Ltd – which is still operating, till today. Following his father's passing at a relatively young age, John found solace in a minister and his first boss - who had a caring attitude towards the less fortunate. Those experiences laid the foundation for John's commitment "to do something different - to choose who we work with and how we do it" while "helping people decide what to do with their lives" whether they came from prison or poorer communities.

"Give meaning to what you are doing" advises John, who shares stories of helping people who are burdened with abnormal events such as unexpected debts or failed relationships. He describes the path to homelessness as an unintended journey in which some resort to drugs and feel easier "to stay at the bottom rather than pull themselves up". Just as the process downward is gradual, so is the tentative journey back to normality and to recapture self-confidence. 

This inspired John to co-found in 2006 the charitable New Meaning Foundation, a youth training service and a construction enterprise - with a focus to improve lives of "the modern day version of Oliver Twist". Former addicts, ex-offenders and those who overcame mental health conditions are part of the workforce of 120 employees. The youth training component provides vocational courses for those 14 -25 years who benefit from a non-academic setting to learn math and trade skills. John sees the before-and-after of youth who were ignored, seated "back in the class", fragile and not academically oriented to love discovery of talents, prosper a bit and enjoy being part of a team that completes a home with a warranty for others. 

While John's commitment is to provide a strong pipeline of training and building, cash flow is sometimes difficult and leads to short-term borrowing. "We deliver a (home) product several months before getting paid" so the youth training academy that contract with schools are a vital component to maintain financial liquidity. He described a six-month crowdfunding campaign that raised 7,500 UK pounds for equipment as a lot of effort - and advises it only if an organization has the time horizon, contacts and contributor appeal to achieve success. Among new initiatives are to raise positive fiscal returns from building garden studios alongside existing homes and creating a food cafe that provides training, catering and delivery services. 

John's psychology degree and his partner's corporate banking experience complement each other as they manage the modular construction business that builds low energy micro-homes in 28 days using sustainable materials. "We both tolerate different personalities" declares John, "and share everything through talking, listening and giving mutual support. We also share the underlying aim of the enterprises and meet in-person every three weeks without an agenda - while also referring any problem or issue to one another at any time."