In response to the Mayor’s announcement today that Barking and Dagenham Council has received a large grant of over £1,000,000 from the second round of the Mayor of London’s Young Londoners Fund to deliver a community development programme aimed at tackling youth violence, local London Assembly Member, Unmesh Desai AM, said:
“Alongside robust enforcement measures and having enough police officers on our streets, early intervention and youth engagement initiatives are key components in the fight against the rising tide of violent crime.
“Deep Government cuts to the budgets of councils across London have significantly hampered their ability to reach out to the young people in our community most at risk of getting caught up in crime.
“It is very positive to see City Hall step in where austerity has failed our borough, and fund this fantastic programme which is set to empower and skill-up thousands of local young people who are being unfairly left behind.
“This is not to mention the many other early intervention schemes in Barking and Dagenham being supported by City Hall and the Council. This includes the impressive and pioneering Future Youth Zone, which I visited with the Mayor over the summer”.
Notes to editors
- A list of all the projects and initiatives that have been funded by the Mayor’s £45 million Young Londoners Fund, can be found here;
- Unmesh Desai AM is the London Assembly Member for City and East (covering Barking and Dagenham, Newham, Tower Hamlets and the City of London).