Mayor of London announces VRU funding for after-school programme

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced that London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) has invested £1.3 million in a new programme to provide 3,000 young people with after-school opportunities.

The mayor made the announcement during a visit to the Aspire Higher programme, delivered by The Safety Box, at Park View School, in Tottenham.

The programme delivers violence reduction workshops after school hours, addresses conflict resolution and teaches practical skills to help safeguard young women and boys from exploitation and violence. It also provides one-to-one mentoring and therapy for young people aged 11-18.

Evidence suggests that after-school hours, between 3pm and 10pm on a school day, is a high-risk period of becoming involved or being a victim of violence. This time period is also considered a lost opportunity in deterring young people from being exposed to criminal exploitation.

Figures show that violence was falling in London before the pandemic, and over the past year knife crime, youth violence and gun crime have come down further.

Gun crime was 50% below the peak recorded in twelve months to July 2017. 

Total knife crime resulting in injury was 36% lower than the peak recorded in twelve months to November 2017.

Whilst there has been a decline in overall homicides, the number of teenage homicides in London has increased.

The VRU has invested in 17 targeted projects that are working with young people after school and at weekends, to improve educational outcomes and reduce school exclusions, as well as to improve employability prospects and mental health and well-being.

A strong focus of all projects is on mentoring, in recognition of the importance of a role model in a young person’s life. Youth workers are delivering one-to-one mentoring sessions with young people to focus on decision-making, conflict resolution and how to access positive opportunities.

The programme is also delivering dedicated, tailored support for young women and girls as research suggests the needs of young women are not always met in the same way as they are for boys.

Khan, said: “I am committed to tackling violence in our city and for City Hall to do all we can to help make communities safer. I set up London’s Violence Reduction Unit, England’s first, to lead an approach to tackling violence that is rooted in prevention and early intervention.

“We know that after school is a high-risk period for violence and that’s why it’s crucial that we invest in programmes like Stronger Futures to provide mentoring to support our young people and help them access positive opportunities where they live.”

The VRU’s Stronger Futures programme delivers prevention and early intervention work with young people aged between 10-18 who may be at risk of violence, exploitation or grooming.

Director of London’s VRU, Lib Peck, said: “We passionately believe violence is preventable and not inevitable. London’s VRU is working to prevent violence from happening in the first place and we’re doing that by supporting young people through education, training, employment and investing in positive activities to help them thrive.

“We recognise the life-changing work that community-led organisations do to support young people who are at risk of violence. I’m really pleased to have visited the Aspire Higher programme in Tottenham, who we’ve funded to help work with young people and communities to give them the tools, resources and support to deliver change both now, and in the long-term.”