Escaping the concrete jungle - Backing gang 'Lakes' holidays - letter from Tristan Smith, Green Party pc, Westminster North

Published: 19 March 2010

• WESTMINSTER City Council is absolutely right to back the mentoring scheme for young gang members (‘Holiday’ go-ahead for gang, March 12). 

This was a tough decision to make just weeks before the local elections, and merits cross-party support. 

Charities such as Brathay and – closer to home – Kid’s Company, have proven that personalised support can help troubled young people turn their lives around. 

Every single gang member will have his or her own story to tell, and the most damaged kids are often those who have suffered the most. 

The intervention offered by these types of mentoring scheme can help individuals begin to rewrite their shattered lives. 

Just getting out of this concrete jungle can be a start in itself. 

While some people may baulk at the expense, especially in the current economic climate, it is worth remembering how much it costs the taxpayer to put someone through the criminal justice system. 

The real shame is that the Conservatives have not grasped this point sufficiently well to start properly funding youth clubs here in Westminster, where we  need them the most.

Tristan Smith
Green Party parliamentary candidate Westminster North