An organisation formed in the Midlands is responding to gangland and turf related gun and knife crime, too often the harbinger of death and grief for families.
SAYLE – Save A Young Life Every Day – is already gaining widespread support from influential names and official bodies throughout the UK as it sets out to make a determined effort to change attitudes and halt the crises seriously affecting some young people and their communities.
Support for SAYLE has won the support of the Most Rev John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, the Rt. Rev Derek Webley, Bishop of Aston, The Home Office, the Black and Asian Police Association and the 100 Black Businessmen group as well as, and probably most importantly, schools throughout the West and East Midlands.
When experts examine the reasons behind these shocking crimes, they cite the frequent breakdown of family and community values, turf wars, gang culture, drug dealing and the ease with which young people can acquire lethal weapons.
SAYLE is gearing itself to work at three levels – national, regional and in local communities while at the same time looking at positive action to enable young people to move on and develop their lives and aspirations in greater safety.
Bobby Woods, a singer and songwriter based in the Midlands who lost a nephew in a stabbing incident in London and conceived the project SAYLE, said: ‘Our mission is to halt the crisis of hate, fear, death and confusion and make a lasting impact on our young people, particularly those at greatest risk.’ He has a long and well respected track-record of working with schools, residential, foster and secure care homes for more than a decade, providing workshops to target specific issues such as behaviour and anger management to raising self-esteem for children of all ages.
As part of its future programme SAYLE is preparing a variety of activities with strong links to schools and leaders within the education system which will also bring together at national and regional levels those families who have lost loved ones through gun and knife crime. Meetings have already been held with government ministers and civil servants and SAYLE is anxious to build on that as part of its route forward to liaise and contribute to government thinking.
SAYLE, which is in the process of seeking charitable status, is also sounding out the appropriate religious, governmental bodies and the families themselves who have suffered the grief of losing a member or members of their families through turf war and gangland crime for an annual remembrance memorial service.
16 July 2008
The charity commission has granted SAYLE full charitable status.
CONTACTS:
Bobby Woods 07941 138 941