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Page 1: Gangs Impact Report

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2003 2004 2005 Conference

Gangs?WhatGangs! PilotPROJECT

BOLT,Manchester BigLottery

fundingsecured

ProjectToffeePark,LondonIslington

ProjectHighfieldsDiversityandUnity,LeicesterProjectIncludeVoices,Liverpool,begins

ProjectRegent sPark,LondonCamdenProjectCommunityResolve,Bristol,begins

LEAPhaven,TJUSTHELPEDus,THEY,vEHELPEDUSTOHELPOTHERS,

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Male participant, 15

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2000 2001 2002 Diana, princess of wales Memorial Fund funding securedTwo gangs workers recruited

Pilot project Castlemilk, Glasgow Pilot PROJECT KinG s Cross, London Camden

THE PROJECT,S JOURNEY

Research trips to USA, Europe and across UK Review of international literature on gangs Pilot materials developed

Leap Confronting Conflict was formed in 1987. For 21 years, the project has been working with young people – and the adults who work with them – to find creative ways to manage and deal with conflict.

Having worked with the homeless, young offenders and young people at risk of underachieving, Leap began to be asked to work with groups of young people in gangs. It became clear that the issues of group or gang conflict had an added dimension that caused young people to make choices they would not make on their own.

In 2000, the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund funded Leap to carry out a three-year action research project into the issues of group and gang violence. Two Gangs and Territorialism workers were appointed. They carried out a thorough analysis of the literature on gangs, and made research trips to the USA, Europe, Northern Ireland and all parts of mainland Britain. They gathered data about the issues facing young people and their communities and critically examined current practice. From this, they developed a new model of working that was ready to be tested in three pilot projects.

In 2003, the Big Lottery funded a further three-year programme to mainstream the work.

Since its inception, the Gangs and Territorialism Project has worked with young people in communities affected by gang violence, in schools and pupil-referral units. It has trained police, youth workers, teachers and behaviour-support workers, youth-offending workers, community leaders, volunteers and parents.

This report looks at the tremendous impact that work has had on the young people involved, on the adults that work with them and on the communities in which they live. We present six case studies from around the UK, summarise the other work done by the project, and look at some of the things we’ve learnt about gangs and territorialism over the past eight years.

And we report, in the words of the people involved, just some of the responses to the project.

Leap’s approach to gangs is working – and makinga real difference.

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AS A YOUNG PERSON, I was in conflict because of the ethnic group I belonged to. I wanted to explore group conflicts and understand the causes and costs.

I became involved with Leap’s Gangs and Territorialism Project. For four years I was a development worker. I got to see, at first hand, the project develop to the point where it was having a real, positive impact on the way young people approached their involvement in gangs and groups.

Making a difference to the whole communityPut simply, the project allows young people to see the costs and gains of being in a gang or a group. It lets them explore the status that a group gives them and its impact on their lives. It looks at territory, safety and danger, enemies and reputations.

It allows the group space and time to consider who they are and what they’re doing, and gives them opportunities to do something else.

It gives adult workers a way in to support young people with conflicts and gives them new ways to work. It gives workers greater awareness of gangs, dispels some of their assumptions and helps them to understand the impact of those assumptions. Most importantly, it enhances their skills and confidence, challenges their approach and practice around the issue, and deepens their relationships with young people.

The project makes a difference to the whole community. Not just because groups get on better, which means less conflict and violence, but also because it means agencies are working together with young people – and doing something about what they say.

Tough questions lead to more choicesIt’s all about choices and consequences, but it’s not based on shaming and blaming. Young people often say, ‘I don’t have a choice.’ They have to ask themselves tough questions. Are you leading yourself, or is someone leading you? Do you have to retain the role you take in the group? What is your responsibility to yourself? Asking these questions doesn’t stop them from being in a gang, but it does make them aware of the consequences of that choice. Groups are powerful. Young people have to be helped to see they’re also individuals.

Leap’s Gangs and Territorialism Project is all about making young people realise how many choices they have.

Nia Imani KuumbaLeap Gangs and Territorialism Development Worker

2001-2004

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2006 20082007ProjectBreakingBarriersINBurnleyYoUtHcoNFereNceSafetyinnumbers?

ProjectconcordcentreinKingsmead,LondonHackneyProjectBethnalGreentechnologycollege,LondontowerHamletsPUBLIcatIoN WorkingwithGangsandYoungPeople manualislaunchedProjectSeacolePupilreferralUnit,LondonHackney

ProjectBroomhallcommunityPartnership,Sheffieldadulttrainingdeliveredtoorganisations,includingtheMetropolitanPolice

ProjectStPaul sWaySchool,LondontowerHamletsProjecttomHoodcommunitySciencecollege,LondonWalthamForestLeapmeetswithPrimeMinisterandHomeofficeProjectYoungMediators centre,Grimsbyconference GangsintheUK:What sworking?GangsactivitySpectrumacknowledgedbyYouthjusticeBoardProjectGreenheadHighSchool,Keighley,begins

What is a gang?There are many kinds of groups or gangs of young people in the UK, only a small number of which are organised, criminally active or armed. Groups of young people tend to be labelled as a ‘gang’ when they are perceived to be threatening or deeply rooted in a particular area. The problem is not groups themselves, but the behaviour of some young people when they’re in groups.

Why do young people join gangs?Overwhelmingly, young people say they join groups for safety or ‘back-up’. Young people are the biggest victims of crime, mostly committed by other young people. The fact is that in the UK today many young people do not feel safe to go alone in the street.

Many young people are ‘reluctant gangsters’. They often face enormous pressure from peers or siblings to join gangs, or feel powerless to resist and assume they have no other alternatives in order to survive with credibility in their locality. We are concerned to hear some instances of much younger children becoming drawn into gang activity. Protected by their ‘street family’, they are in danger of

growing up in a ‘normalised’ culture of reprisals and violence.

What should we do about gangs?We strongly believe that it is not enough simply to offer diversionary activities, but that the tough work of educating young people to resolve and manage conflict themselves must be done. We do not believe that young people should stop joining groups. Membership of a peer group is a normal part of the transition to adulthood. We believe the natural energy and companionship of the group can be turned into new opportunities for learning and leadership.

Some facts• Young people are by far the biggest victims

of crime• The problem is not groups or gangs but the

behaviour of some young people when they are in groups

• Reported crime involving weapons is currently less than three per cent of overall crime

• We are not overwhelmed by gang or gangster activity in this country. But in the areas it does occur, it is damaging and causes significant problems for residents and young people

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What we doThe Gangs and Territorialism Project works with young people – and other organisations that are working with young people – to explore the key themes of safety and danger, space and territory, status and reputation, enemies and revenge.

We work with established groups of young people, taking them through a series of intensive sessions with experienced trainers. We conduct sessions in safe places that young people are used to, or comfortable going to. And we take them away for the intensive, transformative experience of a ‘residential’. Exercises and role-play are used to enable profound learning for non-traditional learners, and young people are given opportunities to practise the skills they have learnt.

The partner projects that we work with are given support and guidance during the programme, and we train professionals in local areas so work can continue after the programme ends. We draw on a flexible curriculum that can be adapted to deliver the right training to the right group. We also produce clear, practical resources for practitioners.

And we offer further opportunities for both young people and adults to continue training with Leap.

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Leap’s Gangs and Territorialism project is unique. It enables young people to take leadership, both of their own lives and in their communities. It sees young people not as the problem, but as the solution.

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PUtS 1,000+Youngpeopleworkedwith

6citiesworkedin31Groupsofyoungpeopleworkedwith

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3conferencesheld

500+conferenceattendees15

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700+adultstrainedthroughtheprogramme

Projectsdeliveredinthecommunity

residentialtrainingexperiencesforyoungpeople

organisations,aGenciesandschoolsworkedwith

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WorkingWithGangsandYoungPeoplebookpublished

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,Youhavethechancetobeyourownleader,gettingcontrolofyourself,takingresponsibilityforyouractions,Male participant, 18

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Glasgow Castlemilk 2002

• Territorial violence on a Glasgow estate• Young people scared to go to their doctor because

they would be entering another gang’s territory• Leap’s first pilot project

Castlemilk. A peripheral housing estate, developed in the 1950s for families from the Glasgow slums. A long history of gang fighting and territorial disputes moves with them from the inner city. By the 1980s, unemployment is high, incomes are low, and housing is inadequate. Gang membership is linked to territorial boundaries and gangs are associated with violence.

Castlemilk also has a long and impressive history of youth interventions. It’s the perfect place for Leap’s first pilot project.

One summer. Three self-identified gangs and 57 young people, most between 14 and 16. Of those, 37 are male, 20 female. All are white Scottish.

A multi-agency planning group, half of them local residents, agrees on a single aim for the project – that young people be given the ability to make informed choices on gang membership through exploring their identity and the costs and gains of belonging.

And a radical starting premise – that gang membership is a natural and important part of transition into adulthood for many young people, and that gangs have as significant a place in young people’s lives as any other group or association.

An intense week of activities for each gang includes challenging, focused group work, drama and still-image exercises, outings, trips and food. A joint residential takes place for two representatives from each gang and four from the largest one.

• Youth workers and teachers report reduced violence in schools at the beginning of term

• Young people report that being part of the project has given them a rare opportunity to discuss their experiences as gang members and explore issues that affect their lives

• It has left them with a sense of being valued, being important

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Camden/King’s Cross 2002

• Two gangs of Bangladeshi youths, less than two miles apart

• A history of tension; an escalation in the frequency and ferocity of confrontations

• And a violent attack in the middle of Leap’s second pilot project

King’s Cross. At the time, a rundown district of inner-city London. Two Camden youth workers, based at centres less than two miles apart, approach Leap. There is a history of tension between two Bangladeshi groups and the youth workers are concerned by an increase in violence. It’s fertile ground for Leap’s second pilot project.

Each week over a six-month period both groups receive two-and-a-half hours of focused group work, culminating in a residential. Taking part in the pilot project are 20 young men aged between 16 and 18.

Conflict-resolution techniques and forum theatre are used to promote understanding between the groups. The project focuses on the challenging concept of leadership. Who leads you? What do you owe them? Can you be your own leader in life?

Two months in, there is a violent confrontation involving members of the two groups. The leader of one group is hospitalised. Two members of the other group are arrested and placed on remand in a young offenders institute. A decision is made to continue working with the groups separately, rather than working jointly as originally planned.

For some young people, their identity and status is so deeply rooted in their position in the gang that resolving conflict between the groups leaves them feeling as if their position is being undermined. As one participant put it after the incident: ‘They did it ’cos some people don’t want peace. They can see there’s gonna be no more beef, and they don’t like it.’ And another said, ‘If you get people thinking about who leads them, they might leave the leader.’

• For those who stick with it, the project has a profound effect

• 60% of those involved move into paid or voluntary work as a direct consequence

• One of the groups presents at a conference and edits a video of their experiences, which is used as a peer education tool

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Leicester Highfields 2005

• Two groups of young people. A racial divide• Fear and lack of safety. Gangs are formed for protection• A partnership approach exploring conflict, culture and identity

Leicester Highfields. A vibrant, multicultural Midlands inner-city area with a rapidly evolving population. Clashes during a football game between two rival groups of young people, stemming from their differences in culture and heritage, escalate into racial conflicts.

Youth workers at the Highfields Centre set up The Diversity & Unity Young People’s Project, and approach Leap on the recommendation of a colleague. The two organisations work in partnership, using Leap’s expertise to help manage and defuse the situation.

Leap delivers intensive training for the youth workers, then a separate, structured group work programme for each of the two groups over six months. A total of 21 young people participate. One group is of African, Caribbean and dual-heritage origins; the other is Somali.

Each person explores their relationships to their peer group and the group they’re in conflict with, as well as the choices they have in their lives. Both groups feel negatively towards each other, with feelings of resentment, prejudice and stereotypical views. Both groups talk about a lack of safety, the vulnerability this brings, and how they respond by forming gangs for protection.

The project looks at similarities between the two groups’ cultures and histories of immigration. The groups come together for a final session and explore their personal relationships to their religion, culture, race and nationality. The two groups co-operate well and share their stories. A deeper understanding of each other – and of themselves – forms.

• The centre reports new common ground and the lifting of barriers• Conflict is reduced; the ability to deal with it is increased• Young people become role models in the community and create change

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Welearnttoavoidconflict,talkmore,Young person

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Burnley 2006

• A city still recovering from race riots• A project designed to break down barriers between communities• Young facilitators trained to become the solution, not the problem

Burnley, Lancashire. In 2001, smouldering interracial conflicts explode in violent disturbances and riots. Breaking Barriers in Burnley is one of a number of community cohesion projects created to build bridges between groups, particularly the Bangladeshi and white communities. Its aim is to nurture a group of young community leaders.

The project premise is bold. Leap will work with BBB to train a group of young people who will then co-facilitate workshops with three different groups: a mixed-race group that already uses the BBB venue; a gang of young Bangladeshi men, several with ASBOs and histories of aggression; and a group of young, white English people, many with behavioural difficulties. The aim is to reduce the level of conflict and enable the three groups to work together peacefully.

Leap delivers intensive, three-day ‘Working with Gangs’ training for youth workers and young people, followed by a further day of training for eight emergent young trainers. In all, 48 young people participate in the subsequent workshops culminating in a residential training weekend.

The young trainers work alongside Leap facilitators to help the groups look at the challenging issues of group identity, territory, enemies, revenge, safety and danger, status and reputation. The work is difficult, but, through it, they increase their confidence and leadership skills. They are powerful role models for the young people they work with.

• The impact is far-reaching• Three of the young participants attend Leap’s Quarrel Shop

for young community leaders• More than 100 young people from all over the UK come to Burnley

for Leap’s second gangs conference, hosted and led by young facilitators from the Breaking Barriers programme

Independent project evaluation

The Burnley project was independently evaluated by Dr Roger Hewitt, Senior Research Associate at the Centre for Urban and Community Research, Goldsmiths, University of London. He concluded that it met all five of its outcome targets:

1 Local service providers were engaged with, and local youth workers trained. Interviews with adult participants demonstrated clear evidence of increased understanding

2 Effective work on conflict was facilitated with young people of mixed gender and ethnicity

3 Young people were helped towards increased skill and confidence in leadership4 Six local adult youth workers benefited from increased skills and/or confidence5 All 48 of the Burnley locals benefited from an increased understanding of the dynamics

of conflict and territorialism

Commenting on the success in training the youth workers, Dr Hewitt concluded: ‘The “Working with Gangs” toolkit [see page 19] has set them up for future work with difficult groups of young people and given them more experience in dealing with groups from both Bengali and English communities. The whole intervention was clearly seen to be a locally very enriching one.’

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Ilearnthowtotalktopeopleinadifferentway,toSpeakinanargumentratherthanfighting,Male participant, 17

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Hackney 2006

• Gangs, weapons and tags – postcode conflict in east London

• Cross-borough co-operation to tackle territorialism

• A pilot intervention leads to a new three-year programme

Bow, Tower Hamlets. A potentially serious gangs situation is developing. A group of young men from Hackney has been ‘invading’ the territory of groups in Bow, acting provocatively, leaving tags that say ‘E9 Bang Bang.’ There have been fights, threats of serious conflict and weapons.

A multi-agency working group approaches Leap to help. Working with the group from Bow, they learn that the group from Hackney is from the Kingsmead Estate in E9 and has contact with the Concorde Centre for Young People. Staff at Concorde are keen for a Leap programme; one of them has worked with Leap before and holds its work in high regard.

The project looks at conflict the young men have with those from other areas, as well as with the residents of their own estate. The aim is to reduce the level of conflict and fear.

Youth workers and teachers are trained in Leap’s tools and techniques, and evening sessions are delivered. Six young people go away on a three-day residential where they explore their feelings about gangs in their area, and how they and others are affected by their activities. They do some challenging work on the consequences of carrying weapons and alternative choices they might make.

• Young people report that it was a positive experience

• The work becomes the foundation for a three-year programme – ‘Cross X Over Project’

• Young people became more involved in the youth centre

A 15-year-old’s storyKane, 15, and his peer group regularly used to have territorial conflicts with other groups of young people in the surrounding areas. For Kane, it was something he was involved in without ever questioning his own or his group’s actions. ‘I used to get in fights at school, and now I’m able to solve situations because of the training that was given.’

The exercises have given Kane a broader understanding about gangs and the situation he was in. He now feels that some gang members ‘stay in gangs so they are known and have reputation in the community.’ Kane has gained skills while enjoying the activities and can now detach from situations and make a conscious choice whether to get involved or not. It has helped him with personal conflicts, too, as other young people regularly provoke him. ‘Before, if people used to cuss my mum, it used to lead to a fight. Now I don’t let it affect me.’

For Kane, the strength of the programme is the group work. He has been enabled to ‘be with his group in different ways’. These are more positive ways than before.

A youth worker’s story‘It gave me time to reflect on my own practice when working with young people, and explore ways to approach situations differently. I gained confidence and felt that after seeing the Leap trainers defuse challenging situations, I was capable of doing that, too.

For instance, a young person came into the youth club carrying a knife, which I confiscated. The young person became angry and annoyed and couldn’t understand why the knife was taken away. I responded in a way that meant I didn’t blame the young person and allowed him to understand the risks to himself, to other young people and to staff, and what the consequences to his actions could be. The shared language and techniques I learnt in the training contributed to the way it affected my practice.

‘The gangs programme reached the outcomes it was meant to. The young people were able to look at issues, and it was a positive experience for them. Their attitudes became more positive and they had a different respect for youth workers. They became more proactive, engaged more positively, wanted to become more involved in the centre, and made positive choices.’

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Waltham Forest 2007

• A fatal stabbing. A school devastated• The crisis is a catalyst for action• Three young men whose lives will

never be the same again

Easter 2007. Waltham Forest, East London. A teenager is fatally stabbed and another wounded in what is described as a gang attack on one of the borough’s many estates. The teenager who died was, until recently, a student at Tom Hood Community Science College.

Leap meets with the head teacher shortly after the murder and offers the school the opportunity to work together. Two projects are set up – one with young men, one with young women. Key staff are trained, and both groups are taken to the Brathay Centre in the Lake District, at different times in July. The residential with the male group is very challenging. Good work is done, but it is brought to a close early due to dangerous behaviour by some members.

However, a local youth worker, who accompanied the young people, continues building up a relationship with three of the young men. When the school returns after the summer holidays, the Extended Schools Project Manager contacts Leap and asks if we can continue to work with them. The three young men themselves have requested more training. They also present their stories

at Leap’s conference ‘Gangs in the UK: What’s Working?’ in November 2007.

Leap begins to coach the three towards facilitating a workshop for other young people. At the same time, the murder case against seven local teenagers is due to open and the school is keen to hold a positive event. They particularly want to showcase the work that the young men have been doing with Leap.

The three lead an introductory workshop at the school one cold January evening and, the following day, they facilitate a 90-minute workshop for 30 young people and 10 adults at the PeerLink event. Both events are seen as a success. The three young men, who are still under 16, demonstrate their understanding of the choices they have made and let others know about it through the medium of Leap’s work.

• Three young men on the edge of exclusion are now leading workshops across Year 7

• The school reports improved behaviour, better chances of GCSEs, and a calmness among Year 11 and across most of the school

• The school is keen that what has been learnt by the three young men is not lost and are working with Leap to set up a peer-mediation project

tHeWorKSHoPSMaDeUSMoreaWareaboutourselves,Male participant, 15

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Some key learnings from the past eight years

• Focused, targeted gangs programmes can lead to a reduction in conflict, violence and fear in the lives of young people

• Games, role-play and interactive exercises can enable profound learning to happen and lead to valuable, challenging and meaningful group work and discussions

• For an intervention to be successful and sustainable, the programme should prepare the ground for change, working with local adults in advance of the work with young people

• For an intervention to have meaningful impact, the local set-up must address three factors: safety, identity and community

• Central themes we have used that are effective are: enemies, territory, status, power, reputation and revenge

• There is a spectrum of gang activity and a range of interventions that work in the various stages

• Young people can display leadership in their own lives and in their communities. When young people become real leaders, communities change. Peer leaders are powerful role models and educators

• Given the right skills and support, young people can sort out many conflicts themselves. With these skills, they can prevent conflicts from escalating into violence

• Working in partnership is the best way forward. Specialists in conflict such as Leap, working with those rooted in the community, embed skills locally, creating sustainable change

• Sharing skills and tools with both local workers and the young people creates a common language and approach and is more likely to result in positive outcomes

• National conferences and seminars are vital for sharing best practice

• It is imperative that young people’s voices are heard. Young people are capable of contributing to national debate; our role is to coach and support them

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impa

ctAdults working with young people who have participated in Leap’s gangs projects say a high proportion have demonstrated a reduction in conflict, violence and fear in their lives.

Schools that have worked on the programme have shown that exclusions have been reduced.

Youth projects have reported young people becoming more integrated into community activities, accessing youth clubs, helping to run projects and training as youth workers.

Five years pass. A Leap worker rings a group she worked with in King’s Cross. A young man answers. ‘Do you remember Leap?’ the worker asks.‘Remember you? You saved my life.’He is now a youth worker in the centre.

Leap’s Gangs and Territorialism Project…

… eases conflict‘The project Leap worked on helped calm the escalating tension between two gangs. We know of no other service that can provide a similar service to Leap.’Surma Centre, Euston

… facilitates learning‘The quality of Leap’s training was extremely high and enabled us to pass on training to other staff and youths.’Birmingham Youth Service

… provides tools‘I got loads of ideas for how I can work with young people around anger and conflict. It gave me the tools to deal with situations both at work and in life.’Hackney Youth Worker

… influences behaviour‘I learnt how to talk to people in a different way, and to speak in an argument rather than fighting.’Male participant, 17

… provokes ideas‘The value and impact of your work with young people and those working with them, often in the most difficult situations, is immense.Dr Edward F Halpin, Leslie Silver International Faculty, Leeds Metropolitan University

… breaks barriers‘It changed my attitude about the other group and made me realise there’s no need to have conflict. I got to know the other group and haven’t got any issues with them any more.’Male participant, 16

… maximises potential‘It has prevented young people from getting excluded. They were able to realise their potential – they discovered they had skills, but used them in a different way.’Assistant Year Head

… changes lives‘It was one of the main things that happened in my life. If it wasn’t for Leap, I wouldn’t be where I am.’Male participant, 15

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Manchester – Building Our Lives Together 2003A challenging pilot project, addressing the growing gang problem in Manchester.

‘It was as real as you can get.’ Youth worker

‘I wish we could get the whole of our team here. They would really benefit from this work with young people and each other.’ Adult practitioner

Camden, London – Regent’s Park 2004Violent conflict between young Bangladeshi and white, Afro-Caribbean and Somali men.

‘My boy got stabbed for no reason. It needs to be sorted out before people start dying.’ Young person

‘The project helped calm the escalating tension between two gangs.’ Youth worker

Bristol – Community Resolve 2004Conflict between Somali and non-Somali youths. Territorial issues in a changing area; white youths who feel a loss of ownership. Parents who aggravate or even initiate trouble.

‘We’ve learnt alternative ways to handle conflict.’ Young person

Islington, London – Toffee Park 2005Conflict, territorialism and group displacement from a youth centre. A serious incident, the death of a young person. A residential to explore group identity, choices and revenge.

‘I learnt to think before I act.’ Young person

‘I learnt to ignore a situation like a fight and think what the consequences are.’ Young person

Liverpool – Include Voices 2005A six-month plan to address gun violence and glamorisation. Training for local practitioners; direct work with white and Afro-Caribbean gangs.

‘The training was excellent.’ Practitioner‘I’d feel much safer in their area in the

future.’ Young person

Tower Hamlets, London – Bethnal Green Technology College 2006A school closes. Afro-Caribbean boys are transferred to a predominately Bangladeshi school. Tension and conflict lead to a large- scale gang fight. After-school sessions and a residential take place.

‘The work has made a difference to the boys as individuals and to the school community as a whole. The school has entered a virtuous circle of developing relationships between young people and staff, and resolving conflicts without violence. A culture of tolerance and respect seems to be taking hold.’ Teacher

Hackney, London – Seacole Centre, Pupil Referral Unit 2006Territorial conflicts and inter-ethnic rivalry in a pupil-referral unit for year 11 students.

‘The trainers showed great determination and flexibility in dealing with a challenging group in a difficult environment. The work done made a real difference.’ Project worker in PRU

Tower Hamlets, London – St Paul’s Way School 2007Year 10 groups in a Trident-target school. Four young people go on to present at a conference.

‘There’s a noticeable difference in the young people’s attitude and behaviour. The young people said they enjoyed the programme – they want to do it again!’ Learning mentor

Sheffield – Broomhall Forum Community Partnership 2007Training police, Connexions and community workers work with disaffected Somali youth.

Grimsby – East Marsh Project 2007A partnership with Grimsby Mediation and East Lincolnshire Police targets challenging young people.

Keighley – Greenhead High School 2008Leap works with Asian groups in a town that recently elected two BNP councillors.

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s Leap influences policy and practice by holding three highly successful national conferences

Gangs: What Gangs? 2003About 150 practitioners, policy-makers and young people gather at Imperial College, London. Plenaries, seminars, panel discussions and workshops are led by young gang members and international experts in the field.

‘Having youth talk about gangs and challenge adult perception of them was really good.’

‘It allowed me to get closer to understanding the young people who participated.’

‘It provides a “real-life” insight and understanding of what gangs are.’Conference attendees

Safety in Numbers? 2006More than 100 young people from across the UK come to a conference hosted by Leap, Specialist Mediation in Lancashire East (SMILE) and Burnley Youth Theatre. It draws directly on the success of the Breaking Barriers in Burnley programme and includes performances, games, and workshops in creative arts and conflict resolution that look at alternatives and solutions to the problems of safety in groups. Youth-led workshops are well attended; performances are enthusiastically received. A DVD showcasing the conference is made.

Gangs in the UK: What’s Working? 2007Some 250 specialists in the field attend a two-day residential conference in the Lake District,

in partnership with Brathay Hall Trust and The Serious and Organised Crime Prevention and Partnership Unit of the Metropolitan Police Service. Different organisations share examples of practical solutions and positive interventions through performances, seminars, workshops and presentations, using the young people and practitioners directly involved.

‘Presenting a session was a real confidence boost because I had never stood up in front of 300 people! It was a bit challenging, but that’s why I enjoyed it because I enjoy challenges!’Young person presenting

‘It demonstrated the value of involving young people in the design and delivery of programmes, that group work is fundamental to good youth work, and that partnership working is essential.’Senior Youth Officer

Practical handbook for workersLearnings from the gangs project are turned into a tool-kit for practitioners. The ‘Working With Gangs and Young People’ manual is launched in 2006 at a high-profile event. More than 500 copies have been sold so far.

Training and consultancy programmeLeap’s work with local professionals is turned into a two-day training course. This training is now delivered to youth services, safer schools teams, safer neighbourhood teams, Connexions, youth-offending teams, youth inclusion and support panels, schools, sports organisations and outdoor education centres.

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With

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has worked with on this programme, including:Bengali Workers’ AssociationBethnal Green Technology CollegeBOLT (Building Our Lives Together) ManchesterBrathay Hall TrustBreaking Barriers in BurnleyBroomhall Forum Community

Partnership, SheffieldBurnley Youth TheatreCamden Youth and Connexions ServiceCastlemilk Youth ComplexCastlemilk Youth Services GroupCommunity Resolve, BristolConcorde Centre, HackneyEast Lincolnshire PoliceEast Marsh Project, GrimsbyGreenhead High School, KeighleyGrimsby MediationHighfields Centre, LeicesterInclude Young Voices, LiverpoolKing’s Cross Brunswick

Neighbourhood AssociationMetropolitan PoliceRhythm for Life Project, IslingtonSamuel Lithgow Youth Centre, CamdenSeacole Centre Pupil Referral Unit, HackneySMILE (Specialist Mediation in Lancashire East)South Yorkshire ConstabularySt Paul’s Way School, Tower HamletsSurma Centre, CamdenToffee Park Youth Centre, IslingtonTom Hood Community Science College,

Waltham Forest

All the Leap staff and trainers who have managed, delivered and supported the programme, including:Andy Jukes Nik PitcherCarey Haslam Nigel WilliamsDawayne Gordon Peta BoucherHelen Carmichael Rene ManradgeJassy Denison Samson OsinnowoJenni Driver Sandy SangheraJenny Rogers Tony McKenzieJessie Feinstein Tony WeekesJo Broadwood Zehra BalmanNia Imani Kuumba

All the individuals who have supported, advised and evaluated this work, including:Abdul Alim Ian SuattAlec Davison Jim Fay Aleem Muhammad Louise Nolan Bob Jones Mukith Miah Professor David Brotherton Raj Bhari Dilu Miah Rick Wall Eliza Grainger Dr Roger Hewitt Graham Robb Rubel Ahmed Howard Williamson Simon HepburnHyacinth Parsons Vicki Burns All those who have funded this work, including:The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial FundCommunity Fund (The Big Lottery)

And all the young people and adults who have courageously participated in projects.

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forus,youngpeoplearenottheproblem.theyarethesolution,Leap Confronting Conflict

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Crossing frontlines

Gangs work continues at Leap. We offer two and three-day training courses to practitioners, teams and organisations to share our approach and materials for working with gangs.

We aim to develop more advanced materials for working with young people and gangs and will pilot and share this with other successful gangs projects around the country.

Building on the learning from our work, Leap is now developing new frameworks for working with young people and community conflict. We want to find effective ways of growing young leaders capable of crossing the frontlines of race, faith, culture and nationality. The ‘Crossing Frontlines’ action research project is exploring themes of identity, diversity and community. Pilot projects are looking at ways of reducing the use of weapons, tackling racist violence and calming community conflict.

In 2008, we are opening the Leap Academy of Youth and Conflict, which will offer accredited courses and qualifications for practitioners and young conflict workers.

• Leap is a leading expert in youth and conflict in the UK

• Leap has run lively but challenging group work programmes and training courses for 21 years

• Leap works directly with young people – in schools, in communities, on urban estates and with young people involved in gangs

• Leap works with frontline professionals engaged with young people

020 7561 3700info@leapconfrontingconflict.org.ukwww.leapconfrontingconflict.org.uk

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Impact Report compiled and written by Sandy Sanghera and Pete Lawson

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Leap Confronting Confl ictUnit 7 Wells House5-7 Wells TerraceFinsbury ParkLondon, N4 3JU

020 7561 3700info@leapconfrontingconfl ict.org.ukwww.leapconfrontingconfl ict.org.uk

Registered Charity Number: 1072376Registered Charity Number Scotland: SCO41152Registered Company Number: 3628271

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