Letter to Editor: Voyage graduation ceremony at Hackney Town hall
Dear Editor,
It has been sad to see reports that schools are failing young people through exclusions and a lack of engagement with pupils with special needs, leaving them vulnerable to gang exploitation and criminality.
To turn the tide on the rise in violent crime, the whole community must come together and play its part, with our education system playing a particularly significant role.
This is why I was delighted to attend the Voyage graduation ceremony held in Hackney Town Hall earlier this month, which celebrated the achievements of the 100 inspiring students who had completed the Young Leaders for Safer Cities Programme.
Voyage is a youth leadership programme and social enterprise that develops and transforms the aspirations of London’s young, BAME community. The programme plays a vital part in raising awareness of the devastating impact of violent crime and the importance of community relations with the local police.
The interventions of initiatives like these are absolutely invaluable, but the Government should also step in to do more to support the most at-risk young people. Whilst the Mayor of London has attracted bids from youth organisations across London for his £45 million Young Londoner’s Fund, the Government has so far failed to allocate its £22 million nationwide early intervention fund.
Yours,
Jennette Arnold OBE AM