In 2019, Richmond Rugby was awarded a grant by Metropolitan Police to design and deliver a Crime Prevent Project aimed at educating and mentoring young people who are at risk of being groomed into gang activity in the Borough of Westminster.

We wanted to offer a multi–sport offering to children aged 9-11 in primary schools who have been identified by the schools as being “vulnerable”, these children are most at risk of being groomed by gangs, the data from the Met Police safer schools’ team, suggested year 7 in secondary school is the key risk age group. We were introduced to the MCC Foundation team by the Met Police as they were already working with local schools in the Westminster area. Very soon a joint collaborative approach was agreed to deliver the programme.

The project funding has allowed us to up-skill both Richmond and MCC community coaches in teenage mental health first aid, as well as resilience training to help support the young people who will attend our programme. The project was named ‘Fast Forward’ to give it, its own ‘identity’.

COVID-19 lock-downs put the programme on hold, but over the summer of the 2021, Fast Forward was launched. We delivered a three day a week activity camp run by Richmond and MCC coaches and staff as well as being supported by the Met Police safer schools’ team. We saw more than 30 children attend the camp per day. The children received a daily meal and took part in multi-sport activities as well as team building games. The project will now move to running after school activities to continue to support vulnerable children in Westminster.

For more information please contact our Community Department.
CommunityTeam@richmondfc.co.uk