Borough Gangs Unit Aims to Give Its Backing to Parents
Specialist team introduces weekly support sessions
A Gangs Unit support session at the Minaret Community Centre
March 17, 2025
A newly formed specialist team which aims to prevent young people in Hammersmith and Fulham from getting caught up in gang violence is aiming to transform the way local families are protected from crime and exploitation.
The H&F Gangs, Violence and Exploitation Unit helps parents and carers spot early warning signs of organised crime and gang exploitation
It works with the police to protect vulnerable young people aged 10 to 25 and tries to them to lead a life away from organised crime.
Backed by a £1million-a-year investment from the council, the team says it has supported 155 local young people and families since launching.
Police Constable, Laura Searle, from the Proactive Offender Management Unit in central and west London, said, The Gangs Unit has become an irreplaceable partner in our work. Their approach to building trust within our communities helps prevent crime and saves lives."
The unit's latest initiative – weekly support sessions for parents – are designed to prevent exploitation before it happens by helping parents identify early warning signs.
"It's a place for parents to be vulnerable and open up," said community development outreach worker, Nkechi Ampabeng. "Parenting is the hardest job in the world, and once a child reaches a certain age, you're having to navigate challenges not just in the confines of your home."
For one longtime West Ken resident, the support proved vital when her 16-year-old son became a victim of Serious Youth Violence.
"Before this, he had always been a good kid," she said. "After starting secondary school, he started hanging out with the wrong crowd. I felt lost and didn't know how to help him get back on track."
After reaching out to the Minaret Community Centre on North End Road, she was connected with the H&F Gangs Unit.
"I was initially hesitant to share our personal struggles with others," she said. "I was concerned about privacy and the potential for judgment."
Through their support, she found the help she needed. The team helped connect them with a therapist who could support her son.
Its youth programme also helped him secure an apprenticeship, "giving him a sense of purpose and a path towards a brighter future," according to his mother. The weekly group sessions became a lifeline for her. "I was educated about the challenges our children face, what signs to look out for and what action to take."
Potential indicators include their child suddenly bringing home new valuables, wearing new clothes, or running with a new social group.
The sessions are helping parents living in and around the West Kensington, White City, and Lytton estates (W14), and Peabody and Clem Attlee estates in Fulham, along with other youth activities such as street dancing, boxing, and make-up artist training.
Value Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |