Continue a community-led alliance approach to violence prevention where organisations work together.
Violence Reduction
Communities have a deep understanding of their areas — they often know the challenges and where opportunities for prevention lie. It’s important that statutory services listen to and work with our communities, and we’re here to support that.
Since 2022, we’ve been working with The Greater Manchester Combined Authority Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) to deliver a programme of community-led approaches to violence reduction. The programme works with young people aged 10- 25 years, and their families.
Celebrating the work of the Community-Led Violence Reduction Alliances across Greater Manchester
The main aim of the VRU’s Community-Led programme is to involve young people in community and voluntary work that helps create projects to tackle the root causes of violence, raise aspirations, and build better opportunities. It also aims to strengthen trust between communities and the police. By putting communities at the centre of decisions, local solutions are more likely to meet real needs and make a positive difference. Communities can also help shape local policing and share information with Greater Manchester Police to highlight where action is needed and what might help reduce violence.
Through this work, the VRU works closely with local communities to understand their strengths, challenges, and needs, helping to decide how funding is spent. Several boroughs across Greater Manchester have already received funding as part of the VRU’s support for community-led programmes in the Serious Violence Action Plan.
10GM, via Bolton CVS, employs a GM VCSE Sector Violence Reduction Senior Strategic Lead who drives forward this work in all ten boroughs of GM. Through local VCSE infrastructure organisations, the VRU has recruited Violence Reduction Alliance Facilitators in each locality area who support community engagement, co-production and sustainability aspects of the programme. To date, thousands of young people aged 24 and under have been reached by the programmes.
“Who gets to decide what gets invested where? Who decides what is best for our communities? I think our communities should make those decisions”.
– Dawn Yates-Obé, 10GM Director and Chief Executive at Bolton CVS
The benefits of a community-led approach are clear and have resulted in successes across Greater Manchester. While working for the shared purpose of reducing violence among our young people, collaborating as an alliance creates more opportunities to secure joint funding, rather than competing for the same pot. The VRU has already invested over £2.6 million in voluntary and community-led violence reduction programmes in all 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester.
Find examples of some funded projects:
Bury
In Bury, 1Message, Bury Defence Academy, Friends of Hazlewood, and Early Break have been funded to work together to form an alliance. The alliance is developing interventions that provide positive role models for young people and raise aspirations through positive engagement
The interventions include:
- Mentoring programmes that provide positive role models for young people and families at risk or vulnerable to serious youth violence and criminal exploitation.
- Youth work activities that will reach and cater for different communities.
- School-based interventions to support young people at risk of exclusion.
- Community sports-based interventions.
Bolton
As part of a £180,000 investment to help tackle serious violence into two alliances in Manchester and Bolton, in Manchester, in Bolton, SOS Protect brings together nine organisations including Raise the Youth Foundation, Streetgames, New Bury Youth, Bolton Wanderers Community Trust, Elite Boxing Community Hub, Wave Adventure, Great Lever and Farnworth Voice and Angel’s Dance who will work with young people and families in New Bury.
Manchester
As part of a £180,000 investment to help tackle serious violence into two alliances in Manchester and Bolton, in Manchester, the Peace Together alliance, led by The Hideaway with support from Odd Arts, 84Youth, Claremont Youth, Rio Ferdinand Foundation and Moss Side Fire Station Boxing, are working across Moss Side, Rusholme and Hulme.
Oldham
In Oldham, four VCSE organisations have received grants to focus on their youth and parent offer – Fatima Women’s Association, Greenhill CSRC, Chai Ladies and Ghazali Trust, the lead organisation. They’ll help to develop mentoring, youth work and sports programmes for young people at risk of or vulnerable to serious youth violence and exploitation, programmes that empower young females, and projects that engage young people and their parents.
Salford
In Salford, four voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations received grants to focus on hate crime and cohesion: Odd Arts, Swinton Lions RLFC, Oasis Community Hub: Media City UK, and Stay Safe Manchester. Their focus will be on engaging young people in activities which promote respect for the community, challenge hate crime and discrimination, and improve community cohesion, to improve feelings of pride, respect and belonging.
Led by Salford Foundation, Oasis Community Hub: Media City UK and three other VCSE organisations – Foundation 92, Manchester United Foundation, and Salford Community Leisure – will form a partnership to work together to reduce violence and provide opportunities in the local community.
The partnership will focus on providing mentoring programmes and positive role models for young people and families at risk or vulnerable to serious youth violence and criminal exploitation, providing youth work activities that will reach and cater for 10 to 14-year-olds and over 14s, and raising aspirations and supporting young people aged 16 to 25 into employment and training.
Big conversations are needed for big topics
In July 2023, 10GM co-chaired ‘The Big Conversation’ with the VRU – an event at Manchester Cathedral which brought together 90 people from VCSE organisations across the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester.
During the event, four workshops took place to discuss the strategy’s emerging
principles. A report was shared with VCSE organisations summarising key points from
discussions. These findings were then used to inform the strategy’s development and
include:
Recognise the important role VCSE organisations play in early intervention.
Ensure all staff receive trauma-informed training, and that these skills are sustained.
Empower communities to be the decision-makers.
Some excellent examples of community-led work are featured in the Greater Than Violence Strategy
CASE STUDY: MENTORING
A 17-year-old male, with care experience and currently living in a residential home, was on bail for street robbery, not in education, employment or training, and at risk of child criminal exploitation. The young person had a fear of rejection and abandonment and little understanding of how vulnerable he was. There were several missing-from-home reports for him and a lack of engagement with any external services. His behaviour could be aggressive and challenging both in and out of the home and he regularly used cannabis.
The young person was referred to a mentoring programme delivered by Matthew Norford from 1Message, through the VRU’s community-led programme. Matthew has lived experience of exploitation and of being part of a gang. An initial meeting took place between the young person and Matthew where they agreed to work together. After a few sessions, Matthew was able to support the young person at a Careers Connect appointment, attending an apprenticeship fair, and applying for Universal Credit.
At one session, the young person disclosed that a close friend had taken their own life and he was struggling with his emotions and how to deal with this. Matthew was able to inform the home and ensure he received appropriate support.
The young person started an apprenticeship in April after attending an interview with Matthew’s support and receiving an offer. There have been no additional arrests, only one missing from home episode, a greater understanding of risks and keeping safe, engagement with external agencies such as Catch 22 and Careers Connect, and improved relationships with staff at the home.
This work builds upon the VRU’s Community-Led Pilot Programme. Watch the video to find out more about the pilot.
Get involved with this work
If you’d like to find out more about the Alliances in your area, or learn more about this work, get in touch.
Content last reviewed on 30 June 2025
