What We Do
Power the Fight
Power The Fight is a unique movement, launched in 2019 to empower communities to end youth violence. Power The Fight works both at grassroots level (for example with families, churches and schools, including delivery of culturally competent therapeutic services) and with the highest levels of policy decision makers (such as the Mayor of London’s Violence Reduction Unit, the cross-party Youth Violence Commission and The Church of England). We aim to act as a lever, initiating far-reaching change and empowering communities to end youth violence.
The Need
Knife crime is at the highest level on record.
Home Office statistics show that, since April 2009, 205 children aged 17 or under have been killed by an attack with a sharp object in England and Wales. Figures have peaked in the past two years, with 22 children dying in both 2019 and 2020. London accounts for a disproportionate number of knife crime offences, with 152 per 100,000 of population in the year ending September 2020, compared to 79 per 100,000 elsewhere.
In the year ending March 2020, there were around 46,000 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in England and Wales. This is the highest number of offences since the year ending March 2011, the earliest point at which comparable data are available.
A freedom of Information request has shown a ten-fold increase in the use of “zombie knives” in London. A total 48 incidents were recorded by Met Police in 2016. But the number rose to 495 in 2019 and — despite the Covid lockdown — surged to 388 in 2020.*
The victims of knife crime are getting younger.
In 2018 just over a third of homicide victims in London were aged 16 to 24.
Hospital Admissions
There were 4,757 finished consultant episodes (FCE) recorded in English hospitals in 2019/20 due to assault by a sharp object. This was a decrease of nearly 8% compared to 2018/19 – 5,149 – but still 31% higher than in 2014/15.
Source: BRIEFING PAPER Number SN4304, 6 October 2020 Knife crime in England and Wales and the *Met Police.
The reasons are multiple and complex and include:
- Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
- Undiagnosed and untreated trauma
- Lack of focus on early years and early intervention
- Reduction in youth services
- A decrease in police numbers
- School exclusion rates
- Structural Racism
- Deficient parental support
- Poverty
- Social inequality
- Lack of employment opportunities
Research shows that we need to treat violence as a public health issue – as a disease – and not simply a criminal justice issue. Only a holistic approach with a cross fertilisation of specialists from a range of disciplines can tackle the root issues and protect the lives of our children and young people.
As a society, we all have a role to play.
Our Work
Power the Fight is an award winning charity that aims to be the conduit between the community and policy makers (see our Community Empowerment Cycle diagram above). We create co-produced/co-designed longterm strategies for sustainable structural change. Most of our work is with families, churches, faith groups and community organisations who want to be equipped to engage with youth violence issues in their context. We do this in a number of ways:
1. Training and workshops
At Power the Fight we have access to the leading thinkers and practitioners from a range of disciplines working in the field youth violence.
Since the beginning of 2019 we have trained and equipped over 8000 organisations and individuals to make a difference to young people’s lives including the NHS, Schools, Faith groups, Charities, local authorities and more.
For more information go to Training and Events.
2. Resources
At Power The Fight we have developed resources to help organisations, faith and community groups to better understand the youth violence issue. These include specialist PowerTalks, links to helpful websites and toolkits. For more information go to PowerTalks and Resources.
3. Building Connections
At Power The Fight we bring community groups together with local authorities, services and other partners to promote mutuality, improve cohesion and effect change. For more information on how we can serve you go to Bespoke Programmes.
We invest the money we raise into equipping communities to build sustainable, community-owned projects that promote peace and end youth violence. To support our work please donate today.
4. Families
At Power The Fight we support families impacted by youth violence. We do this in partnership, providing access to culturally competent therapeutic, financial and legal support. We have also developed our Therapeutic Intervention for Peace programme (TIP) which is now being piloted across London to provide culturally competent therapy to young people, families and frontline staff engaging/impacted by violence that affects young people. For more information on TIP please read out TIP Report which was published September 2020 with the Mayor of London’s Violence Reduction Unit.
Our Story, Aims & Values
Our Story
Power the Fight was founded by Ben Lindsay out of a deep belief in the value of human life and the importance of community. It is a response to a growing need for all parts of society to take responsibility for one another.
Having spent more than 17 years working with and for local authorities, Ben has seen the impact of sustained austerity measures. Churches, faith groups and community groups, often with their own buildings and access to resources and volunteers, have a unique contribution to make.
In 2016 following the murder of teenager Myron Yarde, Ben started gathering people from within and outside the local church to reflect, pray and create a space for dialogue for anyone in the community concerned about youth violence. Policy makers, police, youth workers, pastors, clergy and parents joined together to listen and learn from each other. This collective response inspired the beginnings of Power the Fight.
Aims
Power The Fight exists to empower communities to end youth violence. For this to become a reality, communities will need to work together and learn from one another. Our key aims are to educate, equip, engage and enable communities to be the answer to the issue of youth violence the UK.
- Educate – Informed by research and led by leading specialists we deliver training through workshops, bespoke programmes and conferences.
- Equip – We provide an online media hub sharing resources, exploring the latest thinking and connecting people to best practice to reduce youth violence.
- Engage – We work with families and young people affected by youth violence to offer support, advice and signposting to receive the best and most relevant care.
- Enable – We support and fund innovation by people engaging with youth violence in their local context
Together we can power the fight to end youth violence.
Values
- Excellence – Offering the best training and resources for the battle against youth violence.
- Sustainable – Equipping individuals and organisations to work effectively with young people and their families to see lives transformed over time
- Holistic – Recognising the complex and varied factors contributing to youth violence
- Collaborative – Partnering with organisations that demonstrate models of best practice in the field of youth violence, government, faith groups, charitable, statutory and informal.
- Empowering – Working with those impacted by youth violence, being responsive to their wishes and enabling them to be part of the solution.
Myron’s Story
Nathaniel’s Story
Team
Ben Lindsay
Founder/CEO
Lisa Harrison
Administration & Projects Manager
Dr Zeyana Ramadhan
Senior Clinical Behavioural Psychologist & PTSD Trauma Counsellor
Yasmin Elizabeth
Digital Content Lead & Youth Practitioner
Dr Elaine Williams
Research Lead
Milka Fisiha
Therapeutic Facilitator
Grace Thompson
Art Therapist
Dr Winnie Chege
Clinical Psychologist
Dr Veronica Thomas
Clinical Supervisor
Laura Price
Head of Training and Programmes
Adeleka Linton
Counsellor
Claire Smith
Head of Operations
Dr Dawn Cutler
Clinical Psychologist
Trustees
Hannah Bourazza
Trustee
Emily Christou
Trustee
Steve Mathews
Trustee
Tristan Newman
Trustee
Phill Gray
Trustee
Caroline Millar
Trustee
Tinashe Makoni
Trustee
Ambassadors
Antonia Thomas
Actress and Singer
Eberechi Oluchi Eze
Professional Footballer
Guvna B
Rapper, Author and Broadcaster
Advisory Board
The advisory group exists to ensure Power The Fight have the highest quality of experience and expertise informing our work. The role is non-remunerated. Members of this group serve in an advisory capacity and have no decision-making responsibilities.
The role of the Power The Fight advisory group, as set out in the terms of reference, is to:
- Support Power The Fight in its mission to equip churches, schools, community and faith groups to better understand and respond to the issues around youth violence in the UK.
- Act as an advocate for Power The Fight’s work
- Advise on the development of Power The Fight’s strategy
- Ensure that the leadership team of Power The Fight are kept informed of major developments in their respective sectors
- Serve as a channel of professional advice within the areas of expertise represented on the group
- Offer insights and identify new opportunities and trends
- Create links between Power The Fight and the communities within the sector for whom our work has particular relevance
Our members are:
- Les Isaac OBE – CEO Ascension Trust, Honorary Ecumenical Canon, Southwark Cathedral, Co-Founder of Street Pastors
- Vicky Foxcroft – MP for Lewisham and Chair of the Youth Violence Commission
- Geeta Subramaniam-Mooney – The Children’s and Young Persons Commissioner, Newham
- Andrez Harriott – CEO & Founder, The Liminality Group
- Billie Lindsay – Head of External Relations, Arts, British Council
- Helen Millichap – Borough Commander for Enfield and Haringey – North Area BCU
- Winston Goode – Youth Work, Project Management & Consultancy, Founder @Juvenis, Partner @rk_lambeth @ProjectYana17, Trustee @BrixSoupKitchen and Ambassador @applespearsuk
- Chantelle Grey – Myron Yarde’s sister
- Jen Ellis – Former Key Supporter Relationship Manager, London for CAP – Christians Against Poverty
- Dr Zeyana Ramadhan – Clinical Psychologist & Wellbeing Consultant
- Dr Dawn Cutler – Clinical Psychologist
- Tania Wilmer – Director, Stratford Circus Arts Centre
- Laura Price – Young Women’s Associate, Abianda
- Claire Crowley – Ecumenical Officer, Churches Together in South London
- Guvna B – Musician, MOBO award winning artist and Author
- Olivia Knight – Founder, Patchwork
- Elaine Williams – PhD Candidate. Sociology, Cultural Studies & Radical Criminology. Youth Worker. Lecturer @ Greenwich University
- Mark Miller – Head of Programme and Practice, Tate Learning, Tate Britain and Tate Modern
- Claude Murray – XL Mentoring Project Manager Lewisham, XLP
- Simone Clarke – Learning Mentor, Addey & Stanhope Secondary School
- Carol Pierre – Intern, Schools Team and Young People Programming, Tate Britain/Tate Modern
- Junior Kngindu – Young person
- Josh Adeyemi – Young Person
- Mercia Perin – Young Person
- Sean Macnamara – Deputy Head Teacher
- Pete Wood – Deputy Head Teacher
- Tom Pearce – Marketing Consultant
- Alwin Kamara -Senior Consultant & Programme Manager
- Michael Barry – Equity Audit Director
- Gareth White – Director of Creative & Social Strategy, Canoe
- Kelliesha White – Senior Account Executive
- Alison Harbottle – Head of School, The Charter School East Dulwich
- Macey McMullen – Violent Crime Reduction Officer