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Community groups specialising in early intervention to tackle knife crime will get £1.4 million for their work, it was announced today.
About 40 organisations will receive funding from London’s Violence Reduction Unit, which uses a public health approach to cut knife violence targeting the causes of crime.
The schemes include mentoring, counselling, education and activity groups helping nearly 25,000 Londoners aged 10 to 21.
It is the first big announcement from the VRU which has just secured £7 million funding from the Home Office.
City Hall revealed further details of what the new unit will focus on, including a programme to reduce school exclusions and after-school provision in high-crime areas.
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Experts warn that children who are excluded from school are at risk of being sucked into criminality.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “It’s vital we invest in our communities because they are in the best position to intervene at a critical moment in a young person’s life.”
Lib Peck, director of the VRU, said the projects would make “long-lasting interventions”.