Tackling Knife Crime & Serious Youth Violence

BASIAN sit on the TKAP Steering Group which is built up of Thames Valley Police and the local council as well as other partners. BASIAN have developed a community-based programme in the Reading area to deliver outreach, mentoring and guidance to vulnerable young people and gang members. BASIAN already have privileged access to this section of the community, as all our workers and volunteers are from vulnerable and socially excluded backgrounds including ex-drugs users, ex-gang members and ex-prisoners. The outreach, mentoring and guidance is designed to empower vulnerable young people to be resilient to gang recruitment, raise aspirations and self confidence. It also educates them on the danger of gang related violence and knife and gun crime. The vulnerable young people are reached through community outreach.

The outreach, mentoring and guidance programme that BASIAN has developed, has been designed to give young people and offenders/ex-offenders the cognitive and practical skills to be resilient to gang recruitment and the potential to commit gun and knife crime, to raise aspirations and self confidence. We directly provide peer-support to current offender’s i.e. social, practical and emotional support to leave crime. BASIAN also provide motivational talks to the vulnerable young people and offenders around the benefits of leaving a life of drugs, gun, and gang and knife crime. BASIAN members are seen as positive role models in the community and therefore these motivational talks have a big impact on young people and raise awareness around gang related violence and crime. As part of the TKAP programme BASIAN sit on the TKAP Steering Group which is built up of Thames Valley Police and the local council as well as other partners.

BASIAN TKAP objectives are:

• Reduce knife crime among young people
• Reduce gun crime and gang related violence among young people
• Combat and change the negative influence of delinquent peer groups
• Prevent young people from initially becoming involved in gun, knife, and gang related crime
• Break the cycle of young people re-offending
• Improve the safety of communities

BASIAN have further developed their outreach programme by being awarded a grant by Thames Valley Police and Berkshire Community Foundation for an outreach van programme. The van is equipped with tools of engagement, such as an entertainment section for young people, as well as information about various courses and skill building programmes run by BASIAN. The van will travel to different areas across Reading to known anti-social hotspots, as part of our outreach programme and showing young people the opportunities that are available to them, through education and employment, and in supporting them to break the cycle of re-offending. The van and staff will travel to estates to meet young people, help them to make wise choices whilst addressing their issues and empower them to realise the incredible potential they have. The Outreach Programme offers young people alternatives choices, positive ideas and a meaning full purpose in life. The outreach van team will also work with young people in continuing to promote strong preventative messages as well as being a visual presence around the known anti-social hotspots. This is an innovative project which will reach out to a huge number of young people across Reading.

THE BATTLE BUS PROGRESS