The Mayor of London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) has secured a £9.4 million investment from the Home Office to expand its successful youth work intervention programmes, aimed at
reducing violence across the capital.
The new funding will strengthen key violence prevention initiatives, including embedding experienced youth workers in hospitals and police custody suites. These professionals provide crucial support, guidance, and alternatives to violence for young people at critical moments in their lives.
Expanding proven youth work interventions
Youth workers will continue operating in eight A&E hospitals and four Major Trauma Centres, where they engage with young people who have suffered violent injuries. Delivered by organizations such as St Giles Trust, Catch22/Redthread, and Oasis, these interventions have already assisted over 3,100 young people since 2022. Data indicates that 77% of those engaged reduced their risk of harm from others, while 73% felt safer following the intervention.
Additionally, the funding will support youth workers embedded in police custody suites across London through the Divert and Engage programmes. These initiatives have reached 10,000 young people at a point of crisis, with two-thirds successfully reintegrating into education, training, or employment. Among those under 18 arrested for violent offences, nearly 90% did not reoffend within the next year after engaging with a youth worker.
The ‘reachable, teachable moment’
Youth workers in hospitals and police custody seize the "reachable, teachable moment," engaging with young people when they are most open to change—whether after sustaining an injury or being arrested. Clinical leads in hospitals have collaborated to ensure young people can receive confidential support at a critical time in their lives.
National and mayoral investment in youth opportunities
The government’s investment will also support diversionary activities through sports and will complement the Mayor’s extensive funding for prevention and early intervention. These efforts focus on reducing school exclusions, providing mentoring, and creating 250,000 additional opportunities for young people.
During a visit to the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, Mayor Sadiq Khan, VRU Director Lib Peck, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Kaya Comer-Schwartz, and Crime and Policing Minister Diana Johnson MP highlighted the importance of these programmes. At this hospital alone, St Giles Trust youth workers have supported 550 young people involved in violence since 2022. Their efforts have contributed to an 85% reduction in gang involvement and an 83% decrease in the risk of harm.
This latest investment underscores the VRU’s ongoing commitment to tackling violence at its root by providing young people with the support and opportunities needed to steer clear of crime. Photo by Chabad Lubavitch, Wikimedia commons.
