CAPITAL Connections Episode 6🎙️: Javel Watt on High on Health & Guidance vs Grooming

The latest episode of CAPITAL Connections welcomes Javel Watt, founder of Beyond the Narrative, whose story is one of resilience, transformation and using lived experience to create opportunities for others.

Speaking with Sara, Javel shares how his experiences with the criminal justice system, substance use and recovery have shaped the work he does today, supporting people from marginalised backgrounds and helping organisations better understand lived experience.

Building something different

Following his release from prison, Javel was determined to use his experiences to make a positive difference.

He founded Beyond the Narrative, an organisation that provides training for professionals while developing programmes for people who have experienced exclusion, disadvantage or involvement with the justice system.

His work is grounded in a simple belief: people deserve opportunities, trust and communities that help them move forward.

High on Health

One of the projects Javel discusses is High on Health, an initiative designed to create positive, substance-free spaces where people can connect with others in recovery.

The project offers events featuring herbal alternatives, creative activities, breathing and mindfulness, mocktails, open mic sessions and opportunities to build supportive relationships.

Rather than focusing only on what people are giving up, High on Health encourages people to discover new ways of connecting with themselves and with others.

As Javel explains, community was one of the biggest factors in his own recovery journey.

“The importance of community and being able to experience things together was the driving force.”

Guidance vs Grooming

The conversation also explores Guidance vs Grooming, an ambitious new project tackling exploitation, gang culture and the complex realities that many young people face.

Through a series of short films and workshops, the project encourages people to think critically about exploitation, challenge assumptions and recognise that people’s circumstances are often far more complex than they first appear.

Rather than presenting simple answers, the project creates space for discussion, compassion and learning.

The value of lived experience

Throughout the episode, Sara and Javel reflect on the importance of supporting people with lived experience to lead meaningful work.

They openly discuss the realities of balancing projects alongside recovery, mental health and everyday life, highlighting why flexibility, understanding and genuine support are essential when working in co-production.

These honest conversations demonstrate why lived experience is so valuable, not despite people’s challenges, but because of the insight those experiences bring.

“Everything just feels like family”

Javel shares a heartfelt reflection on what being part of CAPITAL has meant to him.

“Being involved, having this opportunity to take on these two projects is a huge honour. Being a part of a community such as CAPITAL… everything just feels like family.”

He describes hearing other people’s stories as leaving “a profound impact” on him, and hopes that lived experience work continues to receive the recognition it deserves.

“I hope moving forward that things keep excelling and getting better as we go along and lived experience… really gets highlighted and acknowledged for what it is – the incredible work that we’re all doing, especially from everyone’s backgrounds and how far everybody has actually managed to come.”

Together, they highlight something that sits at the heart of CAPITAL’s work: when people are listened to, trusted and empowered, they create lasting change – not only in services, but in communities and in one another’s lives.