How Social Enterprise Can Reduce Gang Violence
- 28 Jan
How social enterprise can reduce gang violence
From unleashing potential through sport to raising aspirations, private sector solutions have significant impact on youth crime
Source: The GuardianThe Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations questioned the Government's Big Society policy for ignoring charities as a key stakeholder in the implementation of public sector reforms.
If charities are being left out of the reform debate or have their hands tied as to the level of resources available, there is great potential for social enterprises to deliver public services to fill the gap.According to Social Enterprise UK, significant numbers of social enterprises are concentrated in the most deprived communities in the UK. These organisations are therefore ideally placed to address issues of gang violence, creating bespoke solutions which don't depend on public funding.
The Guardian blog highlights two social enterprises working to provide private sector solutions to gang violence.
Approach 1: Unleash the potential through sport
Social Enterprise LUTA help support young people living with violence by the following:
· Boxing and martial arts training and competition
· Personal development and education
· Youth support services
· Job training and work access
• Youth leadership
According to an impact study conducted by the University of East London in November 2012, 85% of participants in the charity's work said they are less likely to become a member of a gang and 42% stopped their gang affiliations. One participant confirms, "if you have a lot of stress or if you have a lot of anger, boxing is a great way to get rid of that excess stress and anger."
Approach 2: Raising aspirations of young people
Raise the Youth Foundation is a social enterprise that aims to bring people, partnerships, communities and industry together to work with youths and invest in the future. The organisation works with 13 to 24-year-olds to develop and provide education, training and employment opportunities. Apprenticeships and job placements are created by offering services which include gardening, cleaning, web design, painting and decorating - and the foundation is an accredited education provider. These services are complemented with support and one-to-one mentoring for gang members.
Full article available here.
Recent Posts >>
Popular Posts >>
Blog Archive >>
Blog Page >>
Home Page >>
Related articles
- 06 Feb
Housing association helps the environment and homeless at the same time
Northward Housing and The Mustard Tree homeless charity have teamed up to help get people back into work. The charity's Standfirm enterprise sees properties left by Northward's tenants, who have...
- 03 Feb
Trash to treasure scheme
Mr Pearce, from Broughton, Salford, is launching a new social enterprise ‘Old to New Furnishings', with the help of a grant from social housing provider Salix Homes. This new enterprise renovates...
- 27 Jan
WakeOrDonate app helps charity's gain donations
WakeOrDonate is a mobile phone app which will make a donation to a charity each time the snooze button is pressed on someone's phone alarm. The app has been developed by Ronan Finnegan, a nineteen...
- 06 Sep
A new approach to help people find care
A peer-support model is a way of working that allows the sector to save money whilst also giving reliable support and care to those needing it. Peer brokers will help other care-users manage their...
- 07 Jun
Pilot Project Shows Social Enterprises Can Tackle Local Problems
The JRF pilot project in Bradford shows the untapped potential that locally based social enterprises have to solve local problems.The report also says that local authorities should place a higher...
- 29 May
Charities would rather trade as a Social Enterprise
The results of the survey showed 92% said they would like to increase their income from trading and government contracts in the next three years.From asking 100 charities, the results shows that more...
- 03 May
Charities and Businesses form New Social Enterprise
New methods need to be found for funding new social enterprises to free them from traditional methods and generate new methods of spending as well as methods of funding.Foundations traditionally...
- 27 Mar
Social Enterprise to help those with learning difficulties is expanding!
Loddon Social Enterprise will from next month be able to provide facilities where cooking, artwork and computer skills can be learned to increase the work experience for adults who have learning...
- 08 Mar
Social enterprise spending to reduce reoffending
The process still seems to be a learning process at present, and the ministry have recently completed a consultation on the sector to gain helpful feedback.They will be giving out a second grant to...
- 28 Feb
Remploy Workers want to buy Factory as Social Enterprise
The factories that make components and assemble car parts in Birmingham, Coventry and Derby, will lose all funding from the government by September.They were left open when thirty four Remploy...
Responding to the DWP Consultation: Housing Benefit Reform - Supported Housing "It was well-run, in a good location, and very useful. I've only one suggestion; as the session went on it would perhaps have been useful for bullet points of general agreement about what should be in the sector response to be displayed and added to as the session went on, maybe on a flip chart. Regarding your response paper, I particularly like the answer you give to question 9. In fact the general: "if it ain't broke don't fix it" response could be pushed harder." M.P. - Adref Ltd
