Why we are needed
- These young people live in communities which are among the top 10% most deprived in the UK
- Low levels of educational attainment and average child poverty of 41.7%
- Birmingham has the highest rate of gun crime in the country
- Living with these disadvantages, young people have low aspirations, low self worth and often a lack of law abiding adult role models.
- With unemployment also always high, young people start to believe that gang membership, violence, illegal arms and drugs is their only lifestyle option.
- This devastates many lives and often results in youths serving time behind bars, costing approximately £60,000 per person p.a.