On Wednesday 2 June local charities, business and residents came together for the Cut It Out tournament at Selhurst Park.
The tournament was a celebration of My Ends; a partnership between Croydon Voluntary Action, Croydon BME Forum, Palace for Life Foundation, the Metropolitan Police and other key Croydon organisations, charities and influencers to together tackle knife crime and serious violence in the young people of Croydon. The My Ends project is generously funded by the Mayor of London.
The tournament included players from the Metropolitan Police, Palace for Life participants, local Councillors and local businesses. In addition, there were more than 20 stalls from My Ends partners to showcase the work they are doing to support young people in Croydon.
Spectators and players at the tournament were entertained throughout the evening by DJ Milktray who played a set between matches in the Premier League stadium. DJ Milktray is passionate about inspiring change in his local community and is a key figure in the My Ends partnership. Last year he supported the Palace for Life Summer Extravaganza, providing DJ workshops throughout the holiday course to keep young people active, safe and healthy during their school holidays.
Palace for Life Chief Executive Mike Summers said: “We are delighted to be supporting the 2nd edition of Cut It Out, a celebration of the great work of the Croydon community throughout the pandemic to tackle the causes of youth violence. Palace for Life Foundation is proud to partner with Croydon’s finest, supporting the most vulnerable young people and making our neighbourhood a safer place for all.”
Croydon Voluntary Action’s CEO Steve Phaure said: “In taking this opportunity to launch My Ends we’re celebrating partnership work in Croydon, showcasing the voluntary sector and flagging up how local communities can play such an important role in tackling the causes of violence”.
Over the last year, My Ends partners have supported various activities in Croydon, including growing Palace for Life Foundation’s Premier League Kicks Project which works closely with the Metropolitan Police and Youth Offending Team. Together, they use a range of constructive activities including football, DJing, cheerleading and boxing to divert young people away from crime and anti-social behaviour whilst providing safe, supportive and educational spaces.
Cut It Out is a celebration of the work that has been done in the past year to raise aspirations and provide an opportunity to expose at-risk young people to organisations that can help divert them away from gang activity and violence.
The My Ends partnership will continue to support more south Londoners through various means, helping those in our community who are most at risk of involvement in serious crime.
