Sir Sadiq Khan has hailed the impact of his £34m mentoring programme, as it was confirmed that the scheme had achieved the milestone of supporting more than 100,000 young Londoners by the end of last year.
The programme was launched as part of the mayor’s “ongoing commitment to provide positive opportunities for young people and tackle the underlying causes of crime”.
Sir Sadiq’s team said the scheme has “coincided with the number of teenage and under-25 murders in London being at their lowest level since 2012 and 2003 respectively”.
Overall, the number of ‘violence against the person’ offences in London hit 247,867 in the year to June 2024. The figure represented an increase of one per cent compared with the year to June 2023, despite violence offences across England and Wales falling overall by five per cent in the same period. Greater Manchester Police saw a nine per cent decrease, and West Midlands Police saw a 13 per cent drop.
City Hall said that, following the fatal stabbing of 14-year-old Kelyan Bokassa in Woolwich, the mayor is “more determined than ever to provide positive opportunities for young Londoners and tackle the causes of crime alongside record investment in the police”.
Sir Sadiq said: “I know first-hand the difference a trusted mentor can make to a young person’s life which is why I’m delighted to announce that I have delivered on my manifesto commitment to provide access to a mentor for 100,000 young people in need of support in London.
“We could not have achieved this incredible milestone alone. I would like to thank the dedicated mentors and organisations we’ve worked with to achieve this target – it is their contributions that have and will continue to make such a difference to young Londoners.
“While I’m proud of our work so far, there is still a huge amount I want to do working with partners to ensure all young Londoners are supported and can grow up to fulfil their potential. Continuing to provide young Londoners with mentors will remain a vital part of ensuring we can build a safer and fairer London for everyone.”
The mentoring has been provided by more than 150 youth organisations across the capital making use of funding from City Hall and London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU). The programme is said to have reached thousands of young Londoners aged between 10 and 24.
Mentoring opportunities are offered either through one-to-one sessions, group classes in schools, youth clubs and hubs, or online. According to City Hall, the sessions are “tailored dependent on the needs and interests of young people and focus on subjects like music, sport, creative arts, education and careers”.
Lib Peck, director of London’s VRU and co-chair of the New Deal for Young People mission, said: “The mayor set up the New Deal for Young People mission during the pandemic to boost mentoring and to ensure every young Londoner in need of support had access to a trusted adult for support and guidance.
“We have seen the life-changing impact this relationship can have on a young person, sometimes at a time of crisis. That’s why I’m really proud that with the mayor’s investment and working in partnership with organisations across London, we’ve been able to deliver high-quality mentoring for 100,000 young people to help support them fulfil their potential.”