We’re pleased to announce the Home Office has backed our Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund – Save London Lives initiative by donating £500,000. This takes the total raised to £2.1 million. The initiative is aimed at tackling youth violence through the public health approach – using a range of services including youth work, charities, education, mental health and police working collaboratively to divert young people from gangs.
The Home Secretary said he believed the Save London Lives programme would have “a significant impact” on the life trajectories of at-risk young people and was “proud” to offer support. The donation will be used to offer further support to the network for hyper-local charities tackling knife crime who have received backing from the first three rounds of grant funding. Each group will be eligible to receive a further grant of around £7,000.
So far, 41 charities have been supported in the first two grant rounds of Save London Lives – funded by Citi Foundation - with beneficiaries of the third grant round, supported by L&Q Foundation, to be determined in June. Charities funded will have engaged in tackling youth violence by offering trauma support, family support, in-school support or employability support. This grant will be used to help these groups extend, focus and strengthen their organisation and work and will not be offered to new groups that have not been funded in rounds 1 to 3 of Save London Lives.
We will be approaching successful groups from the first two rounds in shortly. If you have any questions, please contact diana.fitzwilliam@londoncf.org.uk.