Bring back Kids Company to cut London's knife crime rate

Sadiq Khan at a school in south west London (Image: Wandsworth Guardian)

I had fully intended to dedicate this post to previewing the Mayor of London elections, which was due to take place in less than two months' time. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Mayor Sadiq Khan will need to wait another year to fight for his place as City Hall's top boss.

The decision to delay the election isn't down to the day itself, but due to the campaign period. While the UK government hasn't advocated a ban on mass gatherings as I write this, the majority of the sporting authorities and local governments have taken actions into their own hands. I feel personally punished with no Premier League or EFL football for at least three weeks.

While I don't want to delve into the coronavirus crisis so much on here, all I will say on the matter are; listen to the facts and don't listen to speculation and hysteria. I strongly feel the media is doing a disservice to its publics by suggesting that some things 'could' happen or it is 'likely' we're all going to be affected by the virus one way or another. Let the scientists do their job in finding a vaccine and hopefully all of us are washing our hands as it's the single most effective way to getting the virus away from our system. Without good personal hygiene, yes, we should all panic and not attend events which has lots of people around. My hope is that it all blows over and life can go back to normality, even immediately after the pandemic is announced as no more. If the World Health Organization (WHO) actually declared the end of the pandemic as quickly as they announced it existed, then I'd be relatively satisfied.

Police performing 'Stop and search' (Image: MyLondon)

Away from the coronavirus, Sadiq Khan must be at least slightly happy that he has another year as Mayor of London. He's been in post for four years and I think he has done a pretty decent job. The capital is still deemed as a highly attractive place to invest in and reside, despite nerves around UK's post-EU exit deal. And I think he has done particularly well clamping down on acid attacks, which was one of his first major challenges. Where it was a massive problem when Khan was first elected, it is barely reported on in recent months, which I'd like to think this is because it is happening less - and this is largely thanks to the Mayor stepping up when he needed to. The rise in 'stop and search' has helped combat the issue, for instance.

While the reporting of acid attacks is reduced, knife crime continues to be a significant issue. Between October 2018 and September 2019 alone saw more than 15,000 knife offences recorded, over 41 incidents per day on average. The only consolation from these figures is that the number of fatal stabbings in London has fallen.

Knife crime in London isn't new and it was also a big issue throughout Boris Johnson's tenure as Mayor. Sadiq Khan has inherited a crisis that refuses to calm down. He started off by blaming government austerity which at the beginning was a valid argument, but now it's time to use the resources at hand and come up with bold solutions to tackle the problem. For me, I cannot look any further than bringing back Kids Company.

Camila Batmanghelidjh (Image: Third Sector)

Kids Company was a revelation when first formed. It was a platform which got young people living on hard times away from the streets and towards a brighter path. It received huge financial support from the rich and influential, and the publicity it received was to die for - until its sudden demise nearly five years ago. When I commented on this in July 2015, I anticipated there would be a gap in support for those who need it the most. And as Britain is no longer a member of the European Union, who provided extra financial support on youth projects, the days of neglecting our children and teenagers outside of school hours must end.

I can see why Kids Company closed, as it occasionally broke safeguarding boundaries. All it required was a refresh. All Sadiq Khan needs to do is meet with the organisation's founder, Camila Batmanghelidjh, come up with a plan to bring it back with close inspection of its running, and not let it go off track the way it did the first time. The impact of Batmanghelidjh was poignant and from an interview she did in 2017, she is still helping families in crisis. Kids Company was badly let down by David Cameron's Conservative government and when it ceased so quickly, young people were left stranded. It is time to change that and only Khan can do that. Thanks to the coronavirus, he has a year to bring our youth away from the brink.