In the past these have included business crime, volunteer-led crime reduction initiatives and burglary reduction. Applications have to demonstrate they are responsive to local needs, are people-focused and address the causes of crime, not just the consequences. Projects are conceived and put into practice in partnership with local police and communities. Awards will be presented at New Scotland Yard on 18 June, 2012.

Safer London Foundation manages this £1.38m pan-London project for the GLA which is focused on increasing the number of adult volunteers and young people taking part in activities with uniformed groups in high crime areas. Our projects are primarily aimed at young people from London’s disadvantaged communities who demonstrate risk factors that indicate there is a likelihood they will be potential victims of crime or violence or may enter into criminal behaviour. The YOU.matter project is targeting these same young people and reaching out to them in London’s 12 most deprived boroughs. Our experience tells us that they would not normally get access to or dream of getting involved with uniformed groups. So, by raising awareness of the activities on offer as well as the chance to receive training to improve their communications and leadership skills, amongst other things, those who get involved are developing capabilities that are likely to improve their prospects. View YOU.matter

Rena Sodhi: ‘Our projects are all about supporting young people and giving them the opportunity to approach their lives differently. We are proud to be leading on a flagship Team London project and working with the uniformed groups and our Youth Advisory Board to encourage young people to access activities they would not normally have the chance to try. Adult volunteers are vital to the success of YOU.matter, as they mean new groups can be established and it is evident that Londoners are rising to this challenge. Anyone interested in adult volunteering should visit www.youlondon.org.uk where there are also links to the uniformed organisations involved in this project.’

The participating uniformed groups are: Air Training Corps LaSER, Army Cadet Force, Boys’ Brigade, Girlguiding LaSER, Girls’ Brigade, Sea Cadet Corps, St John Ambulance London (Prince of Wales’s District) and Volunteer Police Cadets.

Project Manager Elisha Augustin and Director of Projects & Partnerships Claire Hubberstey met the Mayor

London is the first city in the UK to have an elected Mayor with unequivocal responsibility for overseeing the police and his existing powers to set police priorities have been significantly strengthened. A Police and Crime Committee consisting of 12 elected members of the London Assembly will scrutinise the work of MOPC and meet regularly to question the Deputy Mayor of Policing and Crime.

Key areas of work of the MOPC will be:

• Operational Policing and crime reduction – including the 2012 Olympics and Paralympic games, Counter terrorism, stop and search
• Gangs – ensuring the Met Police effectively reduce gang crime and violence in London and co-ordinating support for communities and local organisations to tackle gangs
• Criminal Justice – preventing reoffending, reducing crime and decreasing demand within the criminal justice system and tackling alcohol and drug abuse

View GLA Page

Chief Executive Rena Sodhi , who sits on the Home Office’s Girls and Gangs Working Group: ‘all the work we are developing and delivering both in Operation Connect boroughs and pan-London directly addresses these issues. For example, our Aspire project in Waltham Forest involves working with the local authority and police to support their Enough is Enough strategy, where we are involved in providing mentors to young people wanting to exit gang activity who have been identified through their Going the Distance project.  Read about Aspire – Waltham Forest Gangs Initiative

Rena Sodhi felt the visit provided an opportunity for young people who live in some of the capital’s most deprived high crime boroughs to air their views so that the visitors could understand the challenges they face on a daily basis. ‘The young people were keen to let the Home Secretary know their experiences of the police and how relationships could be improved.

‘The meeting has since prompted at least one of the group to arrange a visit to the Houses of Parliament for members of another borough based panel.  The insight we get from young people involved in our various Youth Engagement Panels is invaluable to the police and is intended to have a bearing on their future local community activities’.

Read about our Youth Engagement Panels