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Cuts leave us all at risk
• THE failure of Islington Council to adopt a proactive approach to issue-based detached youth work and support to the voluntary youth sector will continue to leave our children vulnerable to the scourge of gun and knife violence.
More children and young people will sadly die and/or endure unnecessary violence. For years, Islington Council has adopted the Nimby (not in my backyard) approach, thus denying the extent, scale and nature of violent crime among young people on our streets and in our neighbourhoods.
While the vast majority of our young people are law abiding, too many are out late with nothing to do. Street-based detached youth work provides valuable advocacy and social education, encouraging participation and empowerment, while conversely the voluntary sector has historically provided the necessary safety net of provision to young people. The cuts in these services by Islington’s Lib Dems have left us all vulnerable.
Tackling gun, knife and violent crime among young people requires more than just the police; tackling the root causes requires the intervention of us all.
Islington’s independent commission on young people and safety is too little, too late and lacks independence and teeth. It further fails to engage those of us operating at the grassroots of our community and thus will amount to nothing more than a talking shop.
Fortunately, the Mayor of London has recently provided additional funding resources for work with young people. One can only hope that Islington’s Lib Dems spend this wisely.
CLAUDIA WEBBE
Vice-chairwoman, Operation Trident IAG
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