The Evening Standard's £400,000 fund to save young lives in London

Experts now believe that the public health model — used to dramatically reduce violent crime in Glasgow — is the way to turn the tide

The Evening Standard today launches the £400,000 Save London Lives Fund to try to help tackle the scourge of stabbings and shootings in the capital with a ground-breaking approach.

This newspaper’s special investigation has told how many experts now believe that the public health model — used to dramatically reduce violent crime in Glasgow — is the way to turn the tide.

We agree that a new way forward is needed in the face of a crime wave that has led to more than 80 murder investigations in the capital so far this year and is ruining the lives of Londoners living in crime hotspots. So today, as politicians continue to dither and Londoners cry out for leadership, the Evening Standard announces the major new fund to back the public health approach and help put it into practice.

Our special investigation launched last week highlighted that all too often today’s perpetrators of violence are yesterday’s victims and highlighted calls for a “trauma-informed” public health approach that we believe is likely to be more effective than the current enforcement-led approach. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has praised the public health model and acknowledged that this problem cannot be solved by policing alone, but his strategy, published in June last year, still has Mopac (the mayor’s office for policing and crime) at the fore with London’s 32 boroughs operating largely in silos.

The £400,000 raised to date mostly comprises income from the Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund endowment in the form of interest on the millions of pounds of reader donations received since the fund was launched in 2010. It also includes generous donations from other supporters, including the Mohn Westlake Foundation.

We believe it is time for a new vision and that three actions are needed:

  • To set up a centralised Violence Reduction Unit that is London-wide, reports to the Mayor, sits outside of the police and Mopac, will work across government departments and provide the public health methodology and focal point for all London boroughs.

  • To appoint a dynamic individual to lead the VRU, just like they did with Karyn McCluskey in Glasgow, and to provide this leader with firm backing from City Hall, the police and Mopac.

  • To harness the support of hyper-local groups to empower frontline youth workers to contain, divert and rehabilitate the most high-risk youths, as well as to support early-years prevention and educational programmes.

The first two pillars of change are in the gift of the mayor and we call on him to act decisively. To get the ball rolling on the third element, we are putting our money where our mouth is and setting up the Save London Lives Fund.

Grassroots charities are invited to apply for grants of up to £20,000 over two years. The groups will be engaged in tackling serious youth violence and will be operating in one of three areas: trauma support for young people; in-school support; early intervention or crisis point support for families.

One aim of the fund is to encourage sharing best practice among groups to feed into a pan-London response.

Kate Markey, chief executive of London Community Foundation which manages the Dispossessed Fund, said: “Grassroots organisations have a vital role to play in the response to tackling youth violence, but they need more funding and the opportunity to network and collaborate with other agencies to be part of a pan-London co-ordinated response. So many of us who live and work in London want to help stem the tide of youth violence. The new fund launched today by the Dispossessed Fund with the London Community Foundation will get more resources to the frontline.”

Barnardo’s chief executive Javed Khan, said: “Youth violence must be tackled as a public health issue. Anything less simply won’t work.”

Who can apply? Charities in London (with an annual income under £500,000) that work to reduce youth violence under at least one of the following three themes — trauma, school or family support — may apply for grants of up to £20,000 over two years. Successful applicants will also receive free networking and training events.

What is the deadline? Applications to be received by the London Community Foundation by September 10.

To apply: visit www.londoncf.org.uk

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