Lives Not Knives

MISSION STATEMENT & OVERVIEW

Lives Not Knives is a youth led charity, for young people in London, working to prevent knife crime, serious youth violence and anti-social behaviour. As well as, engaging & educating young people, who have been affected by socio-economic factors and supporting them to improve their future prospects.

AIMS & OBJECTIVES

Engage – Successfully engage with as many young people as possible through; school roadshows, workshops, referrals from schools. 

Educate – Educating 9-16 year olds in schools, on the effects of knife crime, to discourage and prevent them from entering into anti-social activities, particularly around knife crime and serious youth violence, through workshops, roadshows, 1:1 mentoring and group mentoring.  

Empower – Empowering young people & the wider community, towards a more positive future by delivering training, offering 1:1 mentoring, group mentoring, healthy relationships advice and support, preparation for work and supporting successful engagement into education, training or employment for those 25 and under.

LNK reach over 10,000 young prople per year, including working  with the most vulnerable young people within our local schools. Over 800 young people were referred to LNK for 1-1 mentoring by their teachers over the last 5 years.  Whilst working with children in poverty our main concerns are –

• The lack of a daily sufficient meal
• Lack of support from home
• Children as young as ten years old being the main carer for their multiple siblings 
• Domestic abuse 
• Sexual abuse
• Vulnerability leading to the risk of not attending school and becoming involved in youth violence
• Mental and physical well-being

LNK are able to address these concerns  by offering them a safe place to come together with the LNK mentors’/youth workers.  Offering, advice, support and guidance.  Also a warm meal every day of the school holidays, to ensure the safety of their physical and mental well-being.

LNK have trained over 1000 teachers to deliver LNK resources, 10,000 young people have benefitted from these resources each year.  Annually LNK mentors support over 150 young people on a 1-1 weekly basis. LNK also support over 300 young people in out of school hours, delivering enrichment activities and a warm meal to all the young people who are reliant on a free school meal.

Please find more information via our website

What the teachers have to say -

“FANTASTIC SESSION. GREAT ADVICE AND INFORMATION FOR YEAR 6 CHILDREN.” ~ S. TALLACK WOLSEY JUNIOR ACADEMY~

IN CONCLUSION, WE WOULD LIKE, BUDGET PERMITTING, FOR LNK TO CONTINUE THEIR WORK WITH OUR STUDENTS AS THE SERVICE IS HAVING A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE STUDENTS THAT ARE MENTORED AS WELL AS ON THE WHOLE SCHOOL COMMUNITY. “

 ~ DEBORAH CENTER DSEN LEARNING ZONE LEADER OASIS ACADEMY SHIRLEY PARK ~

LNK ARE LOOKING FOR CORPORATE PARTNERS TO CONTINUE THE GREAT WORK WITHIN SCHOOLS AND THE COMMUNITY

LNK Corporate packages – LNK will be supporting your CSR by

Tackling economic recovery – The young people that LNK work with are living in poverty with a household income less than 60% of median income.  Following the pandemic, it is proven that household income has fallen.  Therefore, putting increasing pressure on single parents, households where parents are in receipt of free school meals, people from ethnic minority backgrounds and people living in economically deprived areas.   This demographic of households are expected to experience greater deprivation, whilst experiencing unequal access to public services which in turn will compound health, social and economic equality.

LNK will be helping to close that gap of social deprivation by advancing the equality of opportunities for young people by -

LNK educate

A programme that encourages schools to adopt a whole school approach.  We worked with schools and young people with lived experience to develop LNK educate.  Resources for teachers to approach the subject of youth violence and feel better equipped to answer questions by the young people.  Since piloting LNK educate we have trained over 1000 teachers to deliver resources, working with schools to identify young people that are most at risk of being excluded from school because the numbers of Croydon’s children experiencing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is exceptionally high for example, the proportion and number of children in care is the highest in Outer London. Many children experiencing ACEs enter a destructive spiral of social and school exclusion and involvement in criminal activity (Bellis 2014).  Collectively the teachers and LNK mentors reached over 10000 young people and identified 400 young people who needed 121 mentoring on a weekly basis with an LNK mentor These young people had multiple socioeconomic needs which included –

• Youth crime
• Household where parents were in receipt of free school meals
• Ethnic minority background
• Living in an economically deprived area
• Mental and social health issues
• ADHD
• Living in Care
• Sexual abuse
• Domestic Violence

An LNK mentor can significantly influence young people already involved in criminal activities or at risk of such by engaging, offering an affirmation of direction in career , therefore advancing equality of opportunity. The need for this support to keep young people in education is important because at least 50% of the UK's prison population were expelled from school.

LNK engage

Supports up to 500 young people aged between 10-17 years, with complex needs living in the most deprived areas in Croydon.  It is run during the holidays providing enrichment activities and most importantly lunch for young people who are dependent on free school meals. This programme allows our staff to mentor and support the most disadvantaged young people in Croydon by offering advice and guidance, diversionary activities and educating them on their physical and mental wellbeing, whilst socialising in a safe environment and becoming a part of the community.

"We can support young people to overcome obstacles, set an example for others, and become an asset to society - benefiting them and the entire community"

Darren Long – Project manager

The young people who attend LNK engage have the following demographic -

• 80% living in poverty, eligible for free-school meals

• 70% looked-after children

• 80% engaged in or at-risk of criminal activity or exploitation by gangs.

• 80% have dyslexia, Special Educational Needs or Social Emotional and Mental Health Problems

• 80% Black Caribbean/Mixed White or Black Caribbean  boys and girls.

• 80% not engaged in any positive after school-activities

What are the benefits of being a Corporate Partner?

• Enhancing your Corporate Social Responsibility
• Motivating staff and encouraging team building
• Generating positive PR and building upon your reputation as be a socially responsible company
• Helping prevent youth crime and violence both locally and nationally
• Being associated with a small charity where your contributions go directly to the beneficiaries.

LNK will be proud to mention you in our annual -

• Corporate Social Responsibility paper
• Trustees Annual Report 
• Post your company on our social media channels (along with the value and impact your contribution has made on actively helping to close the gap of social deprivation by advancing the equality of opportunities for young people).

8K feeds 682 young people during the school holidays who would otherwise be dependent on free school meals. During the school holidays young people will have access to a LNK mentor are mental health first aiders whilst also being trained in sexual health, child safeguarding level 1 and 2, dealing with trauma, active listening, and qualification in Jace level 3 youth work practice

25k pays for 2 LNK mentors with the access to training skills and personal development. Working with 48 hardest to reach young people. Also delivering training and resources to 50 teachers of the schools, reaching 2500 young people.

50K pays for 4 LNK mentors to work with 96 young people in school. providing 121 sessions with the hardest to reach young people.  Delivering training and resources to 100 teachers at the schools, reaching 5000 young people.