London’s Violence Reduction Unit brings people across London together to better understand why violence happens and to prevent it now, and in the long-term.
Building a brighter future for young Londoners
We're building a brighter future for all Londoners by investing in local communities and delivering positive opportunities.
Making our communities safer is the Mayor’s top priority. To do this we must be both tough on violence and tough on the complex causes of violence. That’s why the Mayor is providing record City Hall funding1 to the Met Police and investing in early intervention.
Police recorded crime shows that homicides, gun crimes and the number of young people being injured with knives have all fallen since 2016 as a result of the Mayor’s relentless focus on tackling violent crime and its underlying causes. The latest ONS figures show that the violent crime rate is lower in London than in the rest of England and Wales2.
But this is only part of the story.
Every Londoner has a role to play in tackling serious violence.
That’s why City Hall is investing in communities to give them the support, tools and resources to deliver change in their local areas – tackling the structural barriers to break the cycle of violence and giving young Londoners hope for a brighter future.
Alongside doubling City Hall investment in policing3, the Mayor set up the country’s first ever Violence Reduction Unit. With a focus on prevention and early intervention, it’s been so successful that 19 others have been set up in other cities in England and Wales.
1. Police funding for England and Wales 2015 to 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
2. In the twelve months to September 2023, there were 27.9 recorded violence against the person offences per 1,000 population in the Met area, lower than the average for the rest of England and Wales of 35.4 per 1,000 population and lower still than the average for the Met’s group of most similar police force areas - Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and the West Midlands (49.7). Crime in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)
3. See the Mayor's budget.
How we're preventing crime
We believe violence is preventable, not inevitable, which is why we are committed to an approach that is rooted in early intervention.
Through our funding of preventative programmes, we provide positive opportunities for young Londoners that divert them from violence and help them reach their full potential.
By working closely with community groups, we deliver sustainable solutions to tackle violence before it happens and make London a safer city, where no one is left behind.
Below are just some examples of the initiatives the VRU’s London-wide investment has led to.
The Mayor has invested £1 million in peer support networks for parents and carers across all 32 boroughs. Evidence shows that parent and carer support is crucial in helping children and young people affected by violence. These networks help parents and carers develop the skills to better nurture and protect their children.
Children and young people are most vulnerable to exploitation when they’re not in school. From primary level up, teachers are trained to spot the signs of vulnerability early, preventing exclusions, and empowering students through mentoring in Pupil Referral Units and Alternative Provision. This helps schools understand students’ backgrounds and how to tailor their learning experiences.
New investment has helped to create 150,000 positive opportunities for young Londoners via sport, after-school activities and music clubs. This is helping to divert young Londoners away from gangs and crime, giving young people a reason to feel positive about their futures. Activities and clubs we fund equip young people with the skills they need for life beyond the school gates – including accessing opportunities through training, apprenticeships and into employment.
Trusted adults change lives. We're upskilling our youth workers and investing in custody and hospital-based programmes to reach young people in times of crisis.
Local voices matter most. City Hall funding goes directly to local community groups to help them work together to tackle inequality and crime, because they know their communities best. Programmes such as MyEnds give communities the support they need to deliver locally targeted interventions and have already helped 54,000 young people.
Through a record £34 million investment, the New Deal for Young People will give 100,000 young Londoners access to high quality mentoring opportunities – over 70,000 have benefitted so far. Building a trusted and positive relationship over time can help motivate and equip a young person to change their lives; supporting the development of skills, coping strategies and confidence.
Some of London’s most vulnerable children and young adults experience violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect and require intensive long-term and specialist support to help them cope and recover. The Mayor invests just over £4.5 million per year in services such as London Gang Exit, Rescue and Response and Empower to support those affected by gangs, county lines and sexual exploitation.
How we're keeping children and young people safe in London
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300,000
young Londoners benefitting from City Hall and VRU programmes.
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150
schools supported to deliver more inclusive education for all children.
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350+
projects supported by the Young Londoners Fund since 2018.
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100,000
young people set to receive mentoring support through City Hall and the VRU.
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Find out more and get involved
The Mayor's Police and Crime plan sets out his vision for a city in which Londoners are safer and feel safer.
Find out what the Mayor is doing to help London's children and young adults make the most of our city.
Find out more about the LVN app and access mentoring support and over 2000 opportunities for young people.
