Real Lives 2025

Born in Glasgow, the son of a Glasgow gangster. He knew how to use a knife in a fight by the age of ten and he turned his hand to drug dealing and gun smithing. ‘Live fast die young’ was his attitude until one night, thinking he was out of control, he invited someone into his life that would change his story forever. He now entertains with magic and escapology.

Matt’s policing career took him from the beat in South London to command of the Police Service of Northern Ireland during a time of political, terrorist and public order upheaval. He was the first Chief Constable to be appointed by all the political parties together, including Sinn Fein, and was privileged to be involved at the highest level in Downing Street, the White House and Vatican. Matt’s journey is one of personal challenge and sometimes controversy, but also one of the reality of God’s presence, love and unexpected direction over his life.

For much of his life Fred has and is faced with trauma and suffering; including the murder of his adopted son. The peace and joy which you can have as a Christian despite difficulty is really shown in Fred’s life. Fred restored a Harley bike, to serve as a memory to his son and uses it to explain the good news of Jesus.

A bomb-disposal officer in Northern Ireland in the 1970s; worked with the UN on peacekeeping in Cyprus in 1981; served with 1st (UK) Armoured Division in the Gulf War in 1991 in high-intensity war fighting; three tours in the Balkans, including Kosovo, in the 1990s on peace-enforcement and humanitarian operations; and in Baghdad, in 2003, on what quickly became counter-insurgency operations.

“It is a fact my grandfather was the greatest mass murderer in human history,” states Kai Hoss, the grandson of Rudolf Hӧss, the camp commandant at Auschwitz who masterminded the killing of over a million Jews. He was the grandparent the family never talked about, until Kai discovered in a school lesson on the Holocaust that he was related to the leading Nazi, Rudolph Hӧss. Kai was shocked and appalled by his grandfather’s role and it affected him greatly.

Yvonne Edwards was born and raised in Hornsey, North London and was an ardent atheist from her early teens. She lived a very hedonistic, alcohol and drug fuelled life whilst working successfully as a PA at Board and Director level. Yvonne married at 30 determined to put her wild ways behind her and to all appearances was living the dream - beautiful home, adoring husband, three healthy sons, cars, money, friends, overseas travel. However, secretly she was spiralling into chronic alcoholism and feeling suicidal. Then one bank holiday weekend she found herself in The Priory Hospital, opened a Bible and came to believe and trust in Jesus.

He is best remembered for being the last player before Mo Salah to score a league hat-trick against Manchester United at Old Trafford while playing for QPR. Bailey started his career at Watford. When he joined Crystal Palace, Steve Coppell told him, ‘I know you are a Christian but I don’t want you Bible-bashing my players’. He now works with kids in the Midlands.