Youth outreach workers curb violence and ASB afterschool in Leicester

Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews met youth workers who have successfully driven down anti-social behaviour and violence by interacting with young people on their way home from school.

Team Hub On the Streetz was provided with £10k from the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland PCC to address reports of ASB and violence in community spaces close to Aikman Avenue, Leicester, which is a key route home from school for children aged 11 to 16.

The grant, allocated through the Commissioner’s previous Community Safety Fund, enabled two youth workers to be present along the school route and other community spaces for three hours daily, Monday to Friday, during term time.

The youth workers acted as trusted adults and a point of contact for school pupils, and helped build positive relationships, de-escalate incidents and signpost the young people to support and diversionary activities in the area.

Between September 2024 and March 2025, there were no reported incidents of violence or ASB to the police in the area with all potential arguments de-escalated by the team. There has also been no reports or incidents of ASB afterschool along Aiken Avenue during the period.

The PCC, who has prioritised prevention in his new Police and Crime Plan, visited project workers to hear first-hand how their engagement has positively impacted behaviour and reduced incidents.

Mr Matthews said: “This project has had a phenomenal impact on young people’s safety and has virtually eradicated ASB and violence in the areas of focus during these peak times.

“Over a seven-month period, youth workers have clocked up thousands of daily interactions while working closely with library employees to divert young people to other projects and activities in the area.

“Clearly, having experienced and skilled youth workers in hotspot areas at key times is a positive deterrent for violence, disorder and ASB, but it also has a secondary effect of fostering feelings of safety and security among the young people and the wider community.

“These results show the value in providing a visible presence in areas with long-running problems.”

During the seven-month monitoring period, Team Hub staff undertook 3,650 interactions afterschool in Oswald Road and 100 interactions at the shops on Aikman Avenue, while 466 interactions took place at Aikman Avenue Flats and 78 interactions at The New Parks Library. Additionally, 50 interactions took place at Glazebrooke Avenue/Bonney Road while 1,560 were undertaken at Cruyff Court.

Since the project launched, all reports of ASB involving young people in Aikman Avenue flats have reduced, while Hub staff have put in place additional outreach in the area of Cruyff Court to address gatherings of young people.

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