Weekly Lunchtime Meeting

President Chris presented Canon John Ellis with a cheque for £600 from the money raised from last year’s Christmas supermarket collections. After thanking president Chris, John gave us a most insightful account of the work being done by the Shalom Youth Project to tackle the rising incidents of knife crime at source.

Albemarle report

During the 1950s the issue of ‘juvenile delinquency’ was investigated, culminating in the publishing of the Albemarle Report recommending the setting up of a network of clubs and facilities for young people. The youth service ran successfully throughout the 1960s and 1970s however over the past few years the network has been almost completely dismantled. Within the Grimsby area the local authority have closed all six of these former facilities.

Growing Up

As adults we forget how the difficulties of coping with the realities of the world appear through the eyes of a teenager. An prime example of this is illustrated in William Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies’. It has been recognised that young people need the support of adults to interpret the world. For some, their only relationship with an adult may have been a negative one with the police or social workers - this often results in those individuals becoming persons of highest risk.

Gang Culture

It is thought that 1 in 1000 young people may fall into the above category, representing about 8 high risk individuals within the East Marsh. Invariably these individuals become the nucleus of a gang as they have no care for their actions and are seen as interesting and amusing by other young people. Once formed this culture takes years to break down.

Shalom Youth Project

John explained the role of Shalom in providing a focal point for young people to draw them away from petty crime. He cited an example where gang members who had previously been enticed into shop lifting had been drawn back to the centre, therefore disrupting the gang culture. However, many more hours of conversation are being invested in working to turn around with the gang leader.

A further example illustrated how Shalom has rescued a 13 year old girl from potential suicide and a 12 year old runaway by providing a listening ear and bridge to their parents.

Investment in our Future

The work of an organisation such as Shalom is surely an investment in our future, by taking positive action to address rising incidence of gang culture at source. In his vote of thanks John Lavin, complemented John on his inspirational presentation and raised his glass to the work of Shalom.