Littlehampton youth violence sparks new project with 'old school values'

The Rock Community Group CIC is run from Littlehampton’s British Military Martial Arts gym.

The Veterans Volunteer Service (VVS) was launched last weekend in Tesco’s car park in Littlehampton, with the intention to roll out in other towns.

Businessman Will Harvey, who helped to set up the project, was attacked outside the gym last month.

The charity remains undeterred as the focal point of a series of local level incentives that are ‘changing the town for the better’.

Founder Gary Hart – an army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan – runs the scheme with Poppy Gold.

Gary said: “We will tackle youth violence, which is bubbling away in the Arun district.

"A good friend of mine was attacked in the high street.

"The project is offering a way to encourage and educate young minds out of this mindset."

Poppy said the purpose of the project is to form a ‘more resilient community’ for a ‘stronger future’, by utilising veterans’ skill sets, strength of character and quality instruction.

Through ‘practical, hands on work-shops’, children can ‘increase their skill sets’ and ‘gain a sense of purpose within the community’.

Gary added: “We are trying to make strong resilient members of the civil community that might be inspired to go onto the blue light services.

"Either way, it will give them that the community unity sense and also closes the age gap.

"Some older people don’t want to walk through town because of the youths, so it might start changing the tide. It’s only a positive thing.”

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Fitness training session, a hot meal and a haircut – all for £1

The first event, ‘Fit and Feed’. will be held on the last Friday of each month.

Children can receive a fitness training session, a hot meal and a haircut – all for £1, which goes back into the charity and funds the services it provides.

England-affiliated coach, Adrian Clark who spent three years coaching Team England, oversees the boxing.

Military veterans prepare the food in the local baptist church, which is donated by local supermarkets and allotment holders.

Gary said this is ‘going really well’, with more than 120 children fed in one evening.

For more information or to book, call 07526 846297 or email [email protected].

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Military veterans to work with children

The Rock’s VVS sees military veterans share their trade knowledge with young people at a youth focus club held in the baptist church. It is part of an eight-week package to deter knife crime and youth violence.

“The purpose of this club is for local youths to gain practical skill sets like first aid, vehicle repairs, even subjects such as cyber security and the importance of old school values with a new approach,” Gary explained.

"There are so many all-round benefits for individuals and the local community alike: reduction of unnecessary repair costs, discipline and empowerment, becoming a person of value, uniting age gaps in the local community and providing stepping-stones to a career path.”

Gary said the aim is to make 12 to 16-year-olds ‘self-savvy and security-savvy’.

The programme will help them learn how to make their home fire safe, ‘without any cost’.

“Anything that will help the extra cost for mum and dad when the energy bills go up,” Gary said.

"It’s all to make a more resilient and safer town for the future and the community in general.

"They will also know where every defibrillator is in town because we are doing an orienteering day around it,”

The VVS also provides much needed support to veterans who have difficulties transitioning ‘and who may suffer the feeling of loss of identity’.

Veterans are given the opportunity to inspire the imagination of youths. supermarkets and allotment holders.

Also present at the workshop is an NHS mental health nurse, who works in suicide prevention.

Poppy Gold said: “Our workshops are a safe, fully qualified space for youngsters to find support should they need it.

“The youth focus club will start on September 7 at The Baptist Church in Littlehampton, occurring every other Wednesday.

"The VVS is looking forward to bringing back old school values with a new approach to help support our community and inspire young heroes.”

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