Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews met youth leaders in Leicester to see firsthand how his funding is helping young people stay out of the criminal justice system, thereby supporting his crime prevention policy.
The Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland PCC visited LMA Youth and Community Development to meet Director Faizal Patel and other staff from LMA Academy Community Gym who run a series of projects funded through the Commissioner’s Safety Fund to prevent involvement in crime, anti-social behaviour and serious violence.
One of those is a Youth Club which received £10k from the PCC to deliver a three-hour session every Friday evening providing activities such as kickboxing, boxing, wrestling training, PlayStation 5 gaming, American Pool and table tennis free of charge.
The sessions encourage young people to channel their energy into healthy activities to enable them to develop self-control and form positive relationships with others. They also offer weekly mentorship and motivational talks and monthly workshops on topical issues such as knife-crime and drugs to build character development, positive choices and support young people to address any issues they are facing.
Between 70 and 106 young people aged between 12 and 18 attend every week at a time when anti-social behaviour (ASB) typically peaks. Alongside diverting young people away from unsafe or risky environments, the club continues to build strong and trusting relationships with attendees who have confided in staff over personal issues relating to bullying, mental health challenges and difficulties at home.
One participant said the youth club is the only place he feels safe and understood and that it feels like home to him.
During his visit, the PCC was told how the project has prompted positive behavioural change with parents feeding back that their children are happier, more respectful and showing increased engagement at school and home.
In further success, the Commissioner heard how LMA’s Knives Not Lives programme, which also received £10k from his office, is making a tangible difference to young people’s confidence and skills.
The project consists of three funded sessions every week for a period of 48 weeks offering mixed martial arts, kick boxing and boxing for different age ranges up to 18 plus.
More than 90 participants have attended weekly sessions, with one young boy admitting he would not have been able to afford sports classes on his own without the project. He now trains regularly and has developed a real passion for boxing.
Meanwhile, a Girls Empowerment project, which received just over £9,100 from the Commissioner’s Safety Fund, is providing a weekly safe space for young girls to express themselves in free activities such as journalling, fitness classes, and arts and crafts run from the LMA Academy Gym.
The project provides a sanctuary for personal growth and offers weekly mentorship sessions and motivational talks.
Mr Matthews said: “It was a pleasure to visit LMA Academy and see the impact of my funding for this diversionary work first-hand. These initiatives are helping to fulfil my mission to prevent crime and ASB before it happens, taking young people off the streets at a time when criminality and nuisance behaviour typically peaks and engaging them in activities that boost self-esteem and mental wellbeing.
“I feel strongly about providing young people with opportunities and alternatives to crime and ASB and I believe in their ability to change. With the right support, nothing should stand in the way of success and achievement, and these projects have highlighted what is possible and within grasp through the powerful medium of sport.
“I am grateful to staff for showing me around and for sharing their experiences to help inform our future work. To build safer and more prosperous communities, we must build and invest in local resources that help people to live well and thrive.”
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Posted on Tuesday 23rd September 2025