A project that aims to steer young people away from knife crime is heading into its fifth year.
The YOLO project sees dedicated mentors work with young people aged 10 to 16 who have come to the attention of police for carrying a knife or weapon in recent months.
The project aims to divert young people away from violent crime, with 87% of those benefiting saying they feel more confident, more able to set and achieve goals and are now more optimistic about their future.
READ MORE: New figures show North East knife crimes on the rise – including rape, robbery, and threats to kill
Through the popular 20-week programme, young people are provided with a mentor and the chance to take part in one-to-one sessions, and engage in activities such as sport, music, art, social action projects, as well as tailored interventions to support them in making positive behaviour change and address their needs.
Both Newcastle United Foundation and the Foundation of Light are funded by the Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit to deliver a range of opportunities and support to help young people make positive life choices that divert them from crime.
Giving feedback, a young person supported by the project, said: “They’ve done so much to help me. Simple things that I struggled with before, I can now focus on. The Foundation got me back on track and showed me better ways to spend my time."
Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness said: “To tackle knife crime, we need to get ahead of the problem and that means reaching young people before they ever consider picking up a knife.
"But for those who have already made that choice or are at risk of becoming involved in violent crime, this fantastic project helps us to recognise the challenges that some young people face and allows us to work with them to address their behaviour and deter them from crime.
"That’s why projects like this are so important as they show young, often vulnerable people, that there is another way – violence doesn’t have to be a part of their life.”
She added: “Sport is one of many tools used by the Violence Reduction Unit and our regions two football foundations, but this project is not just about football, far from it.
"The programme is all about identifying the wider issues that can lead to a young person becoming involved in crime, understanding what matters to them, addressing their needs and supporting them in making real change for a more positive and fulfilling future. That’s how we prevent violent crime.”
Head of Youth and Community Education at Foundation of Light, Lee Crosby said they have seen first-hand the impact and benefit the project is having on young people they engage with.
He added: "Our mentors work hard to forge a positive relationship with the young people and develop a bespoke pathway that diverts the young person away from crime and violence, offering opportunities that promote positive behavioural change, whilst addressing their needs."
Jordan Wragg, Youth Violence Coordinator at Newcastle United Foundation, said: “The YOLO intervention programme provides us with the opportunity to support participants in gaining confidence and awareness around making better decisions.
"We now have a renewed focus on knife crime awareness, working side by side with Foundation of Light and Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit to reach out to those vulnerable people that need our intervention the most.
"We do this through using the power of sport, one-to-one mentoring and tailored intervention sessions for everyone referred into the programme.
"Thanks to the support from the VRU, we can provide safe learning environments for each of sessions and activities we provide for vulnerable people across the local authorities.”
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