Birmingham receives £485,845 boost to youth crime projects

This new funding - part of £9.5m awarded to projects in 21 areas of the country announced by Communities Secretary James Brokenshire MP – will help support earlier interventions to turn young people away from gangs and crime in Birmingham.

Birmingham Children’s Trust staff will receive specialised training and deliver family interventions for children who are most vulnerable to becoming involved in youth crime. The programme will also educate more than 1,000 young people in targeted schools on how to stay safe.

Cllr John Cotton, Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion, Community Safety and Equalities at Birmingham City Council, said: “This has been a truly tragic week for our city, with two young people losing their lives as a result of knife crime.  Whilst I know that agencies across Birmingham are working hard to challenge and prevent violence, we can and must do more to keep our youngsters and communities safe.

“It is welcome that we are going to receive an extra £485,845 to support the city’s Troubled Families programme. This will be used to fund specialised training for frontline staff within Birmingham Children’s Trust, help educate more than 1,000 pupils in primary schools across the city on how to stay safe, and support earlier interventions to turn young people away from gangs and crime.  This is vital to our ongoing efforts to get knives and violence off our streets."

Andy Couldrick, Chief Executive of Birmingham Children’s Trust, said: “I am pleased that we have been successful, with the city council, in securing this funding as it is much needed to support our work to prevent youth crime and to provide support to children, families and schools so that fewer children are excluded and more are enabled to reach their potential. Knife crime is a serious issue for the city and we need to do more, collectively, to support and protect our children and young people.”

The Supporting Families Against Youth Crime fund will enable keyworkers, community groups, teachers and other professionals working with children and young people at risk, to intervene early and help stop them from becoming drawn into gang crime, serious violence and the youth justice system.

This funding to be channelled through the Troubled Families programme, which has a proven track record of working with vulnerable families.

For full details of the Government’s announcement, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/98-million-fund-to-confront-knife-crime-and-gang-culture