Organisations from across the public and voluntary sector in Brighton & Hove are coming together to tackle Serious Youth Violence. TDC will be hosting a conference at The Grand Hotel, Brighton on Wednesday 11th March to create innovative responses to youth violence and it is hoped that this event will kick start a coordinated and joined up service that will address the issues that young people in the city face.
This is part of the development of the Sussex Violence Reduction Unit funded by the Home Office through the Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner.
Event Organiser, Jackie Sear, working on behalf of TDC says “This is a great opportunity for the voluntary sector, parents and young people, Police and Local Authority Services to share their experiences and knowledge and to find common ground. Brighton and Hove has a wealth of great services but often organisations are working in isolation and parents or young people may not know where to go for help. This event aims to create opportunities to develop partnerships and share good practice.”
The Home Office awarded £880,000 funding to the Office of the Sussex Police Crime Commissioner (PCC) to develop the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) across the county. This has supported a range of Local Authority and Voluntary Sector organisations to create new and enhance existing services that meet the needs of the community.
The conference will bring many of these services together along with other interested stakeholders.
Adam Muirhead, Director of Youth Work here at TDC, has been leading the Brighton Streets Detached Youth Work Programme, funded by the Police Crime Commissioner as part of the Violence Reduction Unit. This is a partnership between TDC, Hangleton and Knoll Project and the Tarner Community Project. The partnership is working together on the streets of Brighton and Hove to engage with young people who may be at risk of exploitation or victimisation and at risk of getting involved in criminal activities.
Adam says “Our city is a fantastic place to live and work for the majority of us, but sadly too many young people still fall prey to those who would exploit them for personal gain, often leading to violence. At the conference, we are looking forward to hearing from young people, parents and leaders in the field and see people working together to tackle the issues related to youth violence and overcome the barriers to resolving them”
Speakers on the day include representatives from the council’s Extended Adolescent Service, REBOOT Youth Programme, Community Safety team, Public Health team, Children and Young People’s Services, PCC, Sussex Police, Audio Active, Make Good Trouble, Fresh Youth Perspectives, Mentivity and the Trust for Developing Communities. There will be a keynote speech from the national organisation, SPACE, and presentations led by young people and parents.
There are a limited number of spaces remaining at Eventbrite.
For further details please contact the event Organiser Jackie Sear at [email protected] or by phone 07958 557 069