Victim Support’s youth programme, You & Co, has been awarded a grant by the Department for Education to run an 18-month anti-radicalisation project with young people in Lancashire, as part of the Government’s Prevent strategy to tackle radicalisation nationwide.

Working with partners such as local community group SLYNCS and the University of Central Lancashire, You & Co aims to put young people’s experiences at the forefront of the Prevent agenda by co-creating and developing materials alongside children and young people. The project will identify specific techniques used to radicalise young people from different communities, and inform prevention and support strategies.

Other aims of the project include:

• ​engaging Youth Leaders with the full Youth​ Prevent Leadership Programme
• co-ordinating a participation programme with children (12- 18 years), parents and community leaders, identifying the key threats of radicalisation and the interventions and support needed to protect young people
• engaging Prevent and Counter-Terrorism strategic and community leaders in the analysis and improvement of the Prevent strategy and materials, in order to effectively engage and safeguard young people
• collaborating with parents and wider community members to raise awareness, provide support and deliver drop-in events on safeguarding young people from radicalisation
• co-developing creative tools for professionals in schools, police and other statutory agencies to effectively identify, intervene and disrupt radicalisation.

Amanda Naylor, Head of Programme Innovation at Victim Support, said:

“Victim Support is delighted to have received funding from the Department for Education to support our work with vulnerable young people in Lancashire.  The project will work alongside young people, putting their voices and experiences at the forefront, helping us to develop education packs that are relevant for school children of all backgrounds. Making these packs available in schools will ensure they are able to provide information and skills to all children, preventing them from being recruited into radicalised activity.
“We know that young people targeted by radicalised groups are often the most vulnerable in society and require a more tailored safeguarding approach.  In this partnership project, co-delivered with the local community group SLYNCS and working with the PCC, police, local authority, education and third sector, we will take a fresh and innovative approach to engaging young people and working together to find better solutions on this most important issue.”