Switch180 join London Sport’s first Connect Series event focused on youth violence

London will achieve nothing in its attempts to reduce serious youth violence unless it works more closely alongside young people warned Director of the Violence Reduction Unit Lib Peck last month. 

Peck was speaking at the inaugural Connect Series event held by London Sport on the 9th July, which was attended by decision makers from across policy, local government and the sport sector. Including Switch180’s Community Manager, Dan Keeley.  

The event was the first in a new series by London Sport looking at how to tackle some of the biggest issues facing the capital and the role which the physical activity and sport sector can play. 

Lib Peck said: “What we see is the power of sport to transform peoples’ lives. It’s everyone’s role to shape the society that they live in. 

“We can aim to reduce violence, we can work hard to increase the feeling of safety, but we are not going to be able to achieve anything without working with young people. 

“That’s what I have been trying to do, get out and meet Londoners. I feel extremely passionate about what we can do as Violence Reduction Unit, how we can use the mayor’s office better.” 

The audience also heard from Rory Geoghegan from the Centre for Social Justice and put their questions to a panel discussion involving Switch180, Black Prince Trust and The Running Charity. 

The discussion covered funding for sport-related projects as well as the necessity to collaborate to achieve joint objectives with the power of sport to positively impact lives shining through. 

Viveen Taylor, who chaired the panel, leads on Sport England‘s work around Serious Youth Violence and noted how significant work is being done to ensure their investment reaches the right sporting projects and organisations.  

Thank you, London Sport. It was fantastic to share the ways in which we harness the power of snowsports to change the lives of inner-city young people. It was also great to discuss how the sporting community can collaborate more effectively to help young people reach positive destinations.