Burton & Uttoxeter’s Member of Parliament, Kate Griffiths, met with representatives from grassroots organisation Sporting Communities, as she continues to develop her multi-agency approach to tackling knife crime in the area. Sporting Communities run a number of programmes to support local cohesion which all began from using sport as a tool for community engagement and development.
The local MP spoke with the group’s Managing Director, Ben Rigby, and Strategic Director, Ross Podyma, on Tuesday 1st March to hear about the work of the Staffordshire and Derbyshire based third-sector organisation and how they might form part of the multiagency solution.
Aided by local authorities, their Community Reassurance Programme has been running for over three years and tackles difficult issues such as anti-social behaviour through relationship brokerage and working closely with police. This is achieved by the police identifying hotspot areas and directing the Sporting Communities’ team to go into those locations, working to stop any possible problems at the source through dialogue and engagement.
The meeting follows on from similar discussions the MP has had on tackling knife crime locally with Staffordshire Police, the County’s Police Fire and Crime Commissioner and The Street Whyze Project.
Commenting, Kate Griffiths MP said:
“It was good to meet with Ben and Ross from Sporting Communities this week and to hear what their organisation does at a hyper-grassroots level. The tragedy of several young people losing their lives from knife incidents has shocked our local community.
“Carrying a knife can often be symptom of a whole range of deeper social issues whether that be drugs or anti-social behaviour. That is why a multiagency approach is required and it is why I am meeting with organisations like Sporting Communities to see how groups and individuals from across our society can help tackle the scourge of knife crime.”
Sporting Communities’ Managing Director, Ben Rigby, added:
“We were very pleased to meet with Kate Griffiths MP and to highlight the work we do at Sporting Communities to support local cohesion and happy neighbourhoods. Dialogue and engagement are key to what we do and how we approach any social issue.
“Having worked in similar situations before, we would be keen to see what we can do to assist in Burton to tackle knife crime and support the local community develop.”
