Our work helping to raise awareness of the dangers of weapons amongst young people has received a boost thanks to funding announced by the Home Office’s Knife Crime Prevention Fund.

The new funding will help us grow the work of SOS+ which works with young people at risk of becoming victims and perpetrators of gang crime and serious youth violence. The Home Office funding will enable us to develop work in London (Tower Hamlets and Woolwich), Ipswich, West Yorkshire and Kent (in partnership with St Margaret’s Church in Rainham who are the lead co-ordinators for this area).

We will be delivering awareness sessions and anti-crime workshops aimed at young people, teachers and parents. These use specially trained facilitators who have direct experience of being involved in the criminal justice system and can speak with real credibility on the realities of the issues being addressed.

The sessions demystify gang culture and educate young people on the harsh realities of weapons crime and its consequences. They also equip young people with the knowledge and tools they can use to stay safe and avoid making negative lifestyle choices.

St Giles Trust is one of 67 charities who have benefitted from this year’s Knife Crime Prevention Fund. Further details can be found here.