lent appeal 2021

Supporting the Bishop of London’s Lent Appeal to tackle youth violence.

This year’s Bishop of London’s Lent appeal is for youth support organisations tackling youth violence in London.

Youth violence, which is prevalent in London, is the intentional use of physical force or power to threaten or harm others by young people aged between 10-24 years. It typically involves young people hurting peers who are unrelated to them and who they may or may not know well. Youth violence can include fighting, bullying, threats with weapons, and gang-related violence. A young person can be involved with youth violence as a victim, offender, or witness.

• In England and Wales there were 47,349 Police-recorded offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in the 12 months to June 2020
• There has been an 85% increase in knife crime in England and Wales since 2014
• 24 children aged just 17 or younger were murdered with a knife or sharp object in 2019. This represents the highest number of children murdered in over a decade

The appeal will support 3 organisations.

XLP

XLP stands for ‘The eXceL Project’. In 1996, in response to a stabbing in a school playground, the school’s headmaster asked Patrick Regan, who was then a local church-based youth worker, to come into the school, work with their students and teachers and help with difficult behavioural issues. XLP now operates across nine inner-city boroughs around London, working with over 4,500 young people each year through education, mentoring, sport and the arts.

TLG

TLG work through a nationwide network of partner churches and are committed to reaching out to some of the most vulnerable children in the UK. With expertise in school exclusions, emotional wellbeing and holiday hunger, TLG is one of the UK’s fastest-growing children’s charities.

Redthread

Redthread embeds specialist youth workers in hospital A&E departments across London and the Midlands. They meet young people during times of crisis, fear and trauma and endeavour to transform their experience of health systems and professional networks. As a result of working with Redthread, 95% of young people are less likely to be harmed again.

You can find more information along with videos from each of these organisations by visiting
https://www.london.anglican.org/lentappeal2021#1608644292808-2531d020-7f7c

Youth violence is not a distant issue but is often experienced on the streets of Islington and Canonbury. Urban Hope will often be supporting victims and perpetrators and works in partnership with XLP to find vulnerable young people and support them before they might get involved in violence and crime. As well as supporting young people through these projects the appeal will help to raise a greater awareness of the issues surrounding youth violence and the pressing need to support young people whose mental health and sense of self-worth has been damaged through the pandemic and repeated lockdowns.

Please support this appeal if you can.