Project helps to cut youth offending
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
A Positive Futures project has helped slash youth crime by 40 per cent in a London borough, figures have shown.
Westminster Positive Futures project, Edutain, provides children with structured sporting and arts activities such as Parkour - a street sport also known as free-running - during school holidays to encourage citizenship and team work.
Metropolitan Police figures show the number of reported crimes involving a young suspect in the project's area fell from 30 a week to 18 during the February half-term holiday.
Richard Leahy, Positive Futures development manager, said: "This is a fantastic achievement for Westminster Positive Futures and shows our approach can make a difference to communities, as well as individuals.
"Parkour appeals to young people who may not like more traditional sports or who want to try something different. We're now looking at ways to include Parkour in the mix across the Positive Futures programme nationally," he added.
The Edutain programme is part-funded by Positive Futures, the national social inclusion programme run by Crime Concern, which uses sport to engage disadvantaged young people.
