MANCHESTER - Wed 28 May 2008

> Launch Manchester video player

WITNESSES

1. Geoff Thompson MBE
Geoff is a former world karate champion, and, since 1993, executive chair of the Manchester-based Youth Charter. The Charter provides sports, arts, and cultural facilities and activities to promote personal development for young people and as an alternative to violent crime. It also uses the experiences of people formerly involved in gang activity in social coaching roles for at-risk young people.
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2. & 3. & 4. & 5. ACC Ian Seabridge, CS Dave Keller, DS Darren Shenton & Kate McDonald
All represent Greater Manchester police and Manchester City Council, who collaborate on several joint approaches to violent youth crime, including the Manchester Multi Agency Gang Strategy (MMAGS). ADCC Seabridge is Acting Deputy Chief Constable for GMP; CS Keller is commander of Manchester’s B Division, an area which includes several of the neighbourhoods most affected by gun crime; DS Shenton is the lead on Xcalibre, GMP’s anti-gun operation; and Kate McDonald is head of youth offending services for Manchester City Council, and also oversees MMAGS on behalf of the council.
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6. & 7. Reaghelle Peltier & Nicole McLaren
Reaghelle Peltier and Nicole McLaren founded and run The nXt Generation, a youth-run Manchester organisation which offers opportunities in vocational training and the creative arts for young people vulnerable to criminal involvement.
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8. Jim Rushe
Jim Rushe is the founder of Right On Track, which provides academic and vocational education for excluded pupils, many of whom have been involved in armed or gang crime. The project is based at a corporate karting track, whose facilities are used for training in mechanics and motor engineering.
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9. Jim McMillan
Assistant Director for Development at Great Places Housing Group, whose North Moor regeneration project is an interesting example of how social housing regeneration can help reduce youth anti-social behaviour and crime.
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10. & 11. Erinma Bell & Dr Rob Ralphs
Erinma Bell is founder of Carisma, the Community Alliance for the Renewal of South Manchester – a Moss Side-based community organisation which campaigns against gun crime and leads initiatives to combat it. Dr Rob Ralphs is a criminologist specialising in gang and gun crime at Manchester University’s School of Law.
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12. Lesley Pulman
Lesley Pulman campaigns for the rights and interests of victims and witnesses of crime.
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