Meet the boxing pro turning kids away from crime in Lancashire village

Lancashire Post

Lucinda Herbert visits a special martial arts club in Kirkham where retired pro-boxer Adam Little has been helping to divert youths away from antisocial behaviour.   The unique project was started after a series of riots in the Kirkham and Wesham area, when police began to look for a way to get 'bored' youths off the streets.   PCSO's from Lancashire Police remain heavily involved with the weekly club and are 'breaking down the barriers' between the police and young people.  The video is a segment from PCSOs Under Review - a short documentary produced exclusively for Shots! TV - watch here https://www.shotstv.com/watch/vod/52869477/pcsos-under-review

Transcript

00:00Jake's been instrumental in kind of coordinating this whole initiative.

00:05PCSOs will go to the house and pick them up.

00:08I think some of the kids have been a bit wary of police.

00:11But thankfully the police are then breaking down that

00:14and showing them that the police do actually do care about the kids.

00:21I'm Adam Little and we're here today to just look at the local community and police initiative.

00:27Getting the kids a little bit more off the street,

00:29getting them in the boxing gyms where we can hopefully teach them a little bit about attitude

00:34as well as being able to teach them how to box, how to control their emotions,

00:37how to have more discipline and a place where they feel safe and secure

00:42where they can go and learn something new.

00:45I think there's quite a lot of trouble with essentially bored teenagers.

00:50But it's not just boredom, it's groups of young people together acting a bit daft,

00:57but we've all been there and we've all done it at times.

01:00One will lead the other into a bit of mischief or whatever you want to call it.

01:05So again, that's what we're looking to do.

01:07Get them in here and then give them another outlet where they can go

01:10and put a little bit of time and effort into it.

01:12The PCSOs will go to the house and pick them up.

01:19Obviously transport has been a bit of a barrier.

01:22You know, we haven't just got people that live five minutes down the road.

01:25We've got people that live ten, fifteen minutes,

01:27and the police are actually going out of their way to get them here.

01:30And that is massively beneficial to the group, to me and to the police.

01:36I think, naturally, I think some of the kids have been a bit wary of police

01:40and the uniform or whatever stigma that brings.

01:45But thankfully the police are then breaking down that

01:49and showing them that the police do actually do care about the kids, the futures,

01:54and also care about the local community.

01:57And it goes far wider than just children.

02:00It's for us, the coaches, and it's also for the local community to get together

02:06and also see how we're bringing this next generation into life, really.

02:12Jake's been instrumental in kind of coordinating this whole initiative

02:18and also having a close relationship with myself

02:22and, you know, talking to me on a regular basis about what it is the kids need.

02:26We're also putting out questionnaires as to know what they need.

02:30It's all good and well, like us kind of thinking we know what they need.

02:34But I actually want the truth from them.

02:36So Jake's then put questionnaires out.

02:41Yesterday we was at Wheaton Camp talking to the Army cadets about what it is we offer.

02:47You know, Jake has been, again, a massive help.

02:51And ultimately this couldn't be happening or wouldn't be happening without him.

02:55So I think we all, I think the local community and me myself owe a lot to Jake.

03:02Our needs to be good.

03:04Thank you very much.

03:07Everything will happen.

03:09It's a new plan.

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