Public services, VCSE organisations, communities, and young people across Greater Manchester have come together to launch a new 10-year strategy to prevent and reduce serious violence in the city-region.
Led by the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester Kate Green, the Greater than Violence Strategy will work to improve lives by preventing violence, supporting victims, families and communities affected, and providing positive opportunities to those at risk of becoming victims, witnesses, or perpetrators, including education programmes, community sports, targeted mentoring, opportunities to develop new skills and therapeutic support.
The strategy was launched at an event in Trafford today (Tuesday 12 December) by the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Greater Manchester Police Assistant Chief Constable Colin McFarlane and the Leader of Trafford Council Cllr Tom Ross, and attended by representatives from the services, organisations and communities involved in the development of the strategy.
Extensive consultation with communities and young people across Greater Manchester took place over the summer to inform the development of the strategy, including work with Manchester Metropolitan University’s Centre for Youth Studies and Greater Manchester’s Youth Combined Authority. The strategy commits to taking a community-led approach to deliver our vision for Greater Manchester.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said:
“Violence and the fear of violence is an inhibitor to realising Greater Manchester’s ambition to be a place where everyone can live a good life, growing up, getting on and growing old in a greener, fairer more prosperous city-region.
“In Greater Manchester we have already seen reductions in knife crime – between the year ending June 2022 and the year ending June 2023, knife crime decreased by 12.5% across all ages, and 13.5% for victims under age 25. However, there is obviously more work to do.
“The Greater than Violence Strategy is the next phase of our journey to tackle violence and improve lives. Partners from across Greater Manchester – led by the Violence Reduction Unit – will work together with communities to reduce violence and provide positive opportunities for young people and families across the city-region.”
