How the Active Essex Foundation are working to create safer communities by tackling violent crime amongst children and young people.
In recent years, Essex has faced a troubling surge in youth violence, with weapon-related incidents and other criminal activities involving young people on the rise. As the community grapples with this ever escalating issue, the Active Essex Foundation has stepped in with a dedicated approach to crime prevention. Through their innovative ‘Sport and Youth Crime Prevention Project,’ the charity leverages the power of sport to divert at-risk youth away from criminal pathways and toward positive, enriching activities. By collaborating with local services, statutory agencies, and a network of resolute community sport providers, the Foundation is making significant strides in reducing youth offending and creating a safer, healthier Essex.
Over the past decade, levels of youth violence have increased, with an alarming increase in weapon related incidents being reported in the county. In the last three years, Essex Police has recorded 52,400 criminal offences involving victims who were under 18 and 47,500 had suspects between the ages of 0-17, with 66% of these offenses involving forms of violence. Staggeringly, 89% of this violence is committed by just 10% of the suspects, highlighting the potential impacts that targeted intervention efforts could have on this small percentage of individuals. A compelling evidence base has been developed over the past few years, highlighting the positive influence of sport on reducing the levels youth offending.
The Active Essex Foundation’s ‘Sport and Youth Crime Prevention Project’ aims to use sport as a tool to reduce this kind of youth offending. The charity works to deliver a first of its kind project in Essex, bringing together the criminal justice system and community sport system to work together to use sport in a quality assured way, to prevent our young people from being exploited and becoming involved in the world of youth crime and violence. The project also works with statutory agencies including the Police, Youth Offending Service, Probation Services, and the Voluntary Sector, linking them with over 65 trusted and locally based specialist community sport and activity providers.
In Essex, over 64,000 children and young people are living in poverty in Essex and engaging in anti-social behaviour. It is by far the highest rated crime across Essex, which is significantly above the country’s average, with children as young as eleven being found carrying knives for protection due to feeling unsafe in their local community. The Foundation have now engaged 6000+ young people in programmes across Greater Essex, using the power of sport to change a whole host of lives. 4,136 young people who are at risk or involved in the youth justice system have been directly supported through AEF’s support and local organisations part of their network since its inception.
Two new projects have been launched as part of the Sport and Youth Crime Prevention Project, the first being ‘Girls Inspired’; a course developed by the Foundation for girls aged 11-16. The project Is a continuation of the Girls with Goals course which ran last year and engaged thirty-one young women. The course is designed specifically with young girls in mind, and referrals are made for young people who are more likely to be exploited or become involved in criminality for a number of reasons.
The second new project is BoxSmart ‘On the Ropes’; a targeted youth intervention project aimed at young people aged between 11-15 years old. Individuals engaging with the project may be at risk or already involved in anti-social behaviour in their community; they may may be more vulnerable or at greater risk of exploitation, at risk of school exclusion, already excluded or have a reduced school timetable and those that attend may also feel isolated or be struggling with poor physical or mental health.
43 young people have already engaged in the three courses delivered by this project, attending 213 times in total between them. Those who attended more than one BoxSmart session, showed a 100% increase in engagement rate in physical activity as a result.
A young person that has benefitted from the BoxSmart programme explained; “BoxSmart was somewhere I got accepted. Everyone had given up on me and I remember teachers telling me that I would end up dead or in prison. When I walked into the boxing gym for the first time, I felt at home. When I was angry, coaches tried to talk to me and understand without judgement rather than just shouting, like people at home and school. They recognized my talent for boxing and nurtured it during the 12-week course.”
Other interventions that Active Essex have contributed to include ‘Ballin with a Bobby’. The partnership between Essex Police, Essex Rebels and Active Essex has helped provide free basketball sessions to communities in Colchester for the last four years. The initiative brings professional basketballers from Essex Rebels and the Colchester Community Policing Team together to develop relationships with those that attend, lead important discussions and highlight the importance of getting outdoors and using the free to use basketball facilities in the area. Open to boys and girls who are at school, ‘Ballin with a Bobby’ has proved enormously popular reaching 200 young people during the 2024 summer holidays.
The project, started by PC Dex Adams of the Colchester Community Policing Team, aims to keep young people active throughout the summer, also aiming to reduce levels of anti-social behaviour and crime, building positive relationships with the police.
PC Dex Adams, the Police Constable behind the idea said; “Early intervention programmes across Essex are vital in supporting and educating young people at risk of exploitation, harm, and offending. Activities accessible to isolated young people provide a sense of belonging and positive pathways. The enrichment elements of these interventions make a difference as they address issues while providing enjoyable activities, setting them apart from standard grassroots sports clubs.
Active Essex funding enabled a tournament day, raising awareness of hate crime and knife crime while educating on crime and punishment. Such projects make a significant difference in the lives of young people, as evidenced by their positive feedback.”
The Active Essex Foundation’s innovative approach to tackling youth violence through sport is not only pioneering but also incredibly impactful. By uniting the criminal justice system with community sport providers, the Foundation is creating safe spaces and positive opportunities for young people at risk. Their targeted initiatives, such as the ‘Sport and Youth Crime Prevention Project,’ ‘Girls Inspired,’ and ‘BoxSmart: On the Ropes,’ are transforming lives and reducing crime rates in Essex. As we look to the future, the Foundation’s continued dedication and collaboration with local agencies and beating hearts of communities promise a brighter, safer environment for Essex’s youth. Their commitment to using the power of sport as a tool for social change serves as an inspiring model for other regions grappling with similar challenges.
Suzanne Page, Sport and Youth Crime Prevention Project Manager commented; “This work has supported the reduction of antisocial behaviour, youth criminality or exposure to exploitation. We are incredibly pleased with our results, both in terms of the number of young people engaged and the growth of the sports and mentor sector, but most importantly in giving young people new focus and inspiring them to reach their full potential.”
