Combating Street Violence
BGP director Wilf Pickles and Ian Horrocks, senior consultant, were proud to represent BGP at Charlton Football Club on Saturday, along with members of the Charlton Trust and other guests to celebrate the achievements of the CACT Street Violence Ruins Lives programme, on its 5th anniversary. BGP have been working closely with Charlton and the Trust in this community based project. BGP’s innovative software platform Onside is used by the club’s community coaches to assist them in their day to day administration of the programme.
Both the Charlton and Millwall teams, along with the match officials came on to the pitch wearing Street Violence Ruins Lives T-shirts.
Present were Colin and Sally Knox, whose son Rob was murdered in 2008, Barry and Margaret Mizen, whose son Jimmy was murdered in 2008, Isaac Attram, whose son Eugene was murdered in Croydon in 2006 and Doreen Lawrence whose son Stephen was murdered in 1993. Also remembered were the many other families and victims of knife and gun crime throughout London and beyond.
Also present was Stephen Greenhalgh, deputy mayor for London as well as other members of the community involved in projects aimed at combating street violence in South East London.
The Street Violence Ruins Lives campaign raises awareness of the serious issue of weapons related violence amongst young people. The campaign works at three levels: –
- Through awareness programmes in schools
- With estates based programmes where young people are identified as being involved in crime, or are at risk of being so, and
- Through targeted specialist work with repeat offenders who are at risk of custodial sentences or who have served a sentence, but have been released on licence
For more information on these programmes and how they can help you, your club or community, please contact the Charlton Athletic Community Trust.