To download and print - The Y, Leicester

pageSHOOTNEWS-PAPERLocal Young People Tackle Gun & Knife Crime- Soft Touch ArtsA newspaper and podcastby young people for youngpeople. Funded by Mediaboxand The Y (Leicester YMCA)- Shoot! is a peer educationresource about gun and knifecrime created by young peoplewho have first hand knowledgeof how it affects them.The RAP and ISSP Youth Offending Service put in alot of time and effort to produce these pieces of peereducational resources. Soft Touch worked with youngpeople from the Leicester YMCA, East St, Aylestone andHinckley E2E as well as young people involved in otherSoft Touch projects.Whilst producing this newspaper the young peopleinvolved gained greater awareness of issues such asconsequences, victims, cultural experiences, poordecision making and much more.The idea for the project came from the young peoplethemselves. Several recent cases of young people caughtup in gun and knife got them talking and they decidedthey wanted to do something positive before thingsgot any worse.C, a young man on the project team who is under thesupervision of the Leicester Youth Offending Service aftercommitting a knife crime, said:“It’ll help people realise that in countries like Iran and Iraq,and in America too, you have to carry a gun to protectyourself, but not here. It’s helped me think twiceabout things”.The participants, many of whom are not in mainstreameducation also learnt graphic design, photography andsound recording.The launch of the Shoot Newspaper was held at theDirectors Lounge of the Cinema de Lux, Highcross Centre,Leicester and attended by various officials including theYouth Justice Board, City and Council representatives,Criminal Justice Systems etc.This newspaper is available from Soft Touch ArtsOrganisation and Leicester Youth Offending Service.Media