“I think the reason I really came back was those youngsters hanging about the street with no future. It was the second generation who were being lost to the community,” he said.
Many had left school without qualifications. Some were involved in crime, drugs and alcohol, and two local young people had taken their own lives.
Using grants from organisations including Children in Need, Jeff helped to create projects focused on literacy, support for parents, employment and youth engagement. Some went on to transform lives, helping people into jobs and university.
Jeff became adept at accessing grants and even had a donation from the late queen for one of his projects to help young people, though he cannot reveal the amount she sent.
“I’ve begged, stolen and borrowed to ensure that we’ve got the right resources for the young people of the village,” he said.
Later, as an independent councillor and then leader of the council, he helped secure funding for projects across Merthyr Tydfil and championed investment in education and community development.
Looking back, he believes helping others also helped him.
“By helping them, I was helping myself, in terms of my own recovery process,” he said.