“This is the best long-term solution.”But Asher believes that church-run projects don’t get enough support, and says funding for their youth work is often hard to come by. “There’s a negative feeling about faith groups,” she says. We play a very important role in people’s lives.”It’s the unconditional love offered by the church that draws in young people, Asher says. Asher describes the capital’s knife crime problem as “just madness,” and adds: “I’m upset that the government allowed it to reach this scale. Last year the organisation he co-directs, Crying Son’s training consultancy, was commissioned by the Home Office to bring together leaders of different faith groups for training on gangs, serious youth violence and exploitation.

Source: The Guardian April 17, 2018 05:01 UTC