We are raising funds to support young people at risk of significant harm

Hello,

We are thrilled to launch our Christmas Appeal, in partnership with the Big Give, to raise vital funds to support our community safety and gang intervention work.

The Harrow Club works in some of the most deprived areas of London, where 1 in 4 young people live in poverty.  Sadly, it is in these areas that incidents of knife crime and youth violence are at their highest.

Another Way is our unique programme to support young people, some as young as 14, and guide them away from harmful behaviour, involvement in gang-related criminality and drug dealing, all of which puts them and others at risk. We have a passionate, trained team who work out in the streets, late at night providing support and mentoring to young people in often dangerous environments.

Numbers at a glance:

• Number of years Another Way has run – 3
• Number of staff involved over the years – 20
• Number of late nights on offer each week – 2
• Schedule of hours – 22.00-02.00
• Average weekly attendance – 40
• Number of high-risk young people supported in 2021 – 80, of which 23 were women
• Number of minibuses required to get everyone home safely – 2
• Annual cost of the project – £100,000

“Every week I speak to parents of children who are scared of what is going on, I have cases of children going missing for days at a time, homes being taken over by gangs who move into market drugs, and they feel powerless as they can’t protect their children, often they are at high risk themselves. I know of young people who have been attacked even when their parents are present, including a recent case that happened in Westfield Shopping Centre. What has got worse is how all persuasive and inescapable this lifestyle is now for many children we work with.”
Michael Defoe, CEO of the Harrow Club, who has worked in the community for 35 years