Home Secretary, Theresa May MP, visited the Construction Skills Centre in Leytonstone to discuss Waltham Forest Council’s award winning gang prevention programme, part of Iain Duncan Smith's wider work to tackle the dependency culture.
After the meeting Iain commented,
“We had a really productive meeting with the Home Secretary – it was great for her to meet some of the people on the ground such as Colin James from Gangs Unite. She was very interested in the work that Colin has been doing – he has been instrumental in helping to pull young boys in Waltham Forest out of gangs and showing them an alternative way of life.”
“The gang problem is something which I am passionate about sorting out. Young boys who grow up on estates with no male role models can be very vulnerable to being drawn into gangs and it is crucial that we use early intervention methods alongside enforcement in order to give these boys a way out so that they can do something productive with their lives. This is what Gangs Unite does so well.”