| Fighting chance for youngsters |
 Is there hope for young people trying to break free of Britain’s growing gang culture? So far 13 teenagers have been murdered in London, and crime rates among young people have soared. According to the Metropolitan Police, London has 170 gangs with around 5,000 members. But Patrick Regan, who founded Christian youth charity XLP, believes it doesn’t have to be that way. He’s just published his book Fighting Chance, which tells stories of young gang members whose lives have been turned around thanks to the mentoring and care of older people – and of the tragedies of those who weren’t helped in time. XLP also launched a website recently, www.fightingchance.me, which spells out some of the consequences of getting involved in gangs, as well as providing reasons for getting out. “We need to own this issue,” says Patrick. “I totally think it’s preventable. But part of the challenge is that we have a culture of fear. The media fuel it. People are scared of handling these situations and talking to the young people. So young people feel stereotyped. “My experience is that once you get to know the people and the reasons they are involved in gangs, you realise that you have got to be involved.” XLP works with 700 young people a week, and some 12,000 each year. Its teams go into London’s schools providing lessons and mentoring, working with children who have been excluded from classes, and running a homework and fun bus in many housing estates. And now it also runs an X-Factor style showcase for young artists at the Mermaid Theatre in Blackfriars. This year, 60 young performers from across London’s schools competed for the title of Arts Showcase winner. This year’s prize, presented by Simon Hughes MP was won by the group Premature. “Investing in young people like this means that we can save ourselves so much heartache,” Patrick says. “Prevention is cheaper than cure. “With the right encouragement people can see changes in their lives.” After all, he adds, “The church is about transformation.” |
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