The Mayor of London’s new initiative has awarded £750,000 of funding spread over three years to help reduce crime in London Road, West Croydon and tackle its underlying causes.
The money has been awarded to a number of local groups, Croydon Council, the police and, the NHS.
The new scheme under the name of MyEnds programme has been developed to put local communities at the forefront of tackling crime by providing direct funding and support.
Putting communities at the forefront
The London’s Violence Reduction Unit, also referred to as the VRU, has invested a total of £6million, and Croydon is one of just eight consortiums in London to be granted a share of the funding.
In their press release for the initiative, the VRU said: “Investing in programmes like MyEnds is about putting communities at the forefront, supporting them and giving them the tools they need to drive down violence and make our city safer for all Londoners.”
Using the funding, a number of programmes and advice services are being launched locally to reduce crime.
Investing in programmes like MyEnds is about putting communities at the forefront, supporting them and giving them the tools they need to drive down violence and make our city safer for all Londoners.
London’s violence reduction unit
The Croydon Council’s Youth Offending Service is using the funding to organise mentoring and educational programmes at local schools and offer a volunteering scheme.
In addition to that, the council’s Violence Reduction Network is providing projects with positive opportunities involving sports, arts and cultural activities.
For adults, the grassroot partners are coming together within a community hub model to advise on benefits, debt, evictions and offer employment support services.
Most notorious ‘microbeat’
Councillor Alisa Flemming, cabinet member for children, young people and learning said: “I am greatly encouraged that a large proportion of the money will be used to support some of our vulnerable young people in a bid to provide positive alternatives to lives that are blighted by crime.”
The bid put together by the community sector, led by Croydon Voluntary Action is targetting an area notorious for crime.
London Road has been singled out to be the capitals most notorious ‘microbeat’ a small area synonymous with drugs and violence.
The gang-ridden area was at the centre of riots in 2011, and recently had a fatal night of stabbings which left one dead and nine injured.
Steve Phaure, Chief Executive of Croydon Voluntary Action said: “MyEnds provides us with an opportunity to build on this area’s strong sense of community and –by working more creatively with our Police, NHS and Council partners – not just reduce violence on London Road but really get to grips with its underlying causes.”
As well as London Road, other communities receiving the funding to tackle crime in their area are Hackney, Haringey, Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Brent and Lambeth.
