Teaming up to tackle Youth Violence – On the streets, for the streets, by the streets…

The youth issues of the streets ended with 2023 seeing the largest loss of young lives the UK since records began with the Youth Charter’s ‘Young Lives Lost’ report and saw the beginning of a new year that represents much by way of the ongoing challenges that we face, in particular, the role of sport for development.

Harry Pittman (16) had his life taken by another 16-year-old who has now been charged with his murder as we counted out 2023. Within only days of more public debate, dialogue and discussion as to the what, the how, the who, the why and the when as to how this ongoing and unacceptable crisis continues.

Three days later, a new star was born of the same age in the sporting world from the most unexpected sport of darts. Luke Littler, a staunch Manchester United fan has now joined the pantheon of youth sensations that has seen him become an overnight national figure that will see his life changed as well as the future of himself and his sport given greater profile than at any other time of late.

The direct and indirect impact of this continuous loss of life and more importantly how a truly collaborative and sustainable effort can significantly impact the social, cultural and economic considerations that must now be made cannot be more relevant and important at this time.

The Youth Charter’s Youth Manifesto and #Call2Action is now years in its ongoing efforts to see its recommendations invested in and responded to.

With the FA Cup clash between Arsenal and Liverpool promoted by the Premier League and many media channels with the North London club wearing their white kits as a second year highlighting the campaign to see an end of knife violence on our streets, there must be a question asked as to why all of the clubs across the country and the Youth Agencies that are of the same mind and effort have not joined forces.

The political climate could not be timelier. The Prime Minister’s recent attendance at his favourite club, Sunderland and post-match response given wide press coverage and reflecting what many are citing to be the future Prime Minister in Sir Keir Starmer, a life-long Arsenal supporter and no doubt in the stands yesterday, has to see a cross party agreement on the regulation of football with a coordinated effort in what is also an Olympic and Paralympic year. Our footballing talent comes from the streets and therefore we must ensure that the streets are safe to allow them to grow and develop on the pitch as well as off the pitch. It should also be noted that there were two 16-year-old footballers on the bench at the Arsenal v Liverpool match!

It is worth noting that in the two developed nations of the UK and USA, the biggest killer of young people in the States is guns, in the UK, it is knives! Two developed nations by which much of this Sport for Development for Peace work has been inspired by the Youth Charter over the last three decades, must now see collaboration and partnership locally, nationally and internationally.

Idris Elba, a Hackney boy and someone who has spoken out for the banning of zombie knives is welcomed. However, as we note the passing of Camila Batmanghelidjh, the founder of Kids Company, one wonders if there had been a genuine collaboration of effort along the lines originally proposed, what the art the possible could have been.

The #Call2Action can no longer been seen as part of a ‘begging bowl’ and societal view of social, cultural and economic disaffection and disadvantage. Sport4development must return to a movement and even a sector or industry. This is not about the economics, but where the resources are now placed in communities, for communities, by communities.

This cannot be ‘third world’ doing to the young people and communities that I have come from. We have to engage, equip and empower them into an intergenerational holistic and integrated approach that is a win win win for all.