GGP in OT with young people from a Nottingham youth project

2009 award winners GGP in OT have an anti guns and gangs message to tell, loud and clear. Last week group members Fabien, Marvin, Marvin and Markus travelled from Old Trafford to Nottingham to deliver workshops to two youth projects in the area. The research based peer education work they have developed can help get the point home to other young people more effectively than adults might be able to do.

Having lived it themselves and experienced the peer pressure and conflicted loyalties that can lead youngsters to join gangs, they were able to share their own stories with the group and to discuss how they had dealt with the tough decisions facing members of the group.

The key messages were about finding something positive to channel your energy into – for group members aka Crown Jewelz and Solja, this was music. They talked about how when they started to work on music and turn away from gang crime they got flack from people around them and it wasn’t easy to stay focussed. But over time they gained respect for it and now they’re starting to see success and make legitimate money from djing and performing. It’s all about being yourself, and keeping out of other people’s trouble.

PLAnet celebrates some really inspirational young people, and we’re really excited to be able to work with them to give them more opportunities to develop their skills and spread their message to more people.

If you’re interested in GGP in OT’s workshops and would like to know more, do get in touch either by email or by commenting below.