25th September 2013

BRIEFING: LAUNCHING AN ANTI-VIOLENCE NETWORK

The Background Lambeth came 316th out of 326 boroughs in England for violence against the person in 2011/12 and 320th for sexual offences. In 2012/13, Lambeth was the worst of similar London boroughs for wounding/GBH, assault with injury and sexual offences; second worst for personal robbery and third worst for serious youth violence. Lambeths gangs are considered by the police to be amongst some of the worst in London. Crime in general and violence in particular is the number one concern of Lambeth residents according to surveys. Traditional approaches to reducing violence have focused on policing and criminal justice solutions. But this approach is essentially reactive, seeking to remedy violence once it has happened. The challenge of making Lambeth a more peaceful society depends on paying attention to long term underlying factors that lead to violence such as experiences in early childhood, parenting, the prevalence of drugs, alcohol and weapons etc. We believe the missing link is enabling communities to mobilise and generate ideas and initiatives to address the underlying causes of violence in our communities.. It is vital that residents and communities in Lambeth are empowered to step up and powerfully articulate the message the violence must stop. As a starting point we need to launch a network of committed people from Lambeths communities who are passionate about making the borough a more peaceful place and who are willing to work with the council and police to create and deliver a new strategy for preventing violence in our borough.. The Challenge We need Made In Lambeths help to create a name, identity and online presence for this new anti-violence network. Specifically, we want you to: 1. Create a name, mission and brand identity for the anti-violence network: We need to create something which mobilises Lambeth diverse communities. What does the network stand for? How will it work? What should we call it? What does the logo look like? 2. Create an online presence for the network: create a prototype web presence for the Alliance which supports its mission to mobilise residents and communities to make Lambeth a more peaceful place. This virtual presence should be used to build the network and share information and ideas. Your impact Reducing violence in our communities is one of the most pressing issues of our time. By working with us to help design and launch this network, you can help the borough to become a more peaceful place and to cement its future success.