A fundamental belief that no one is born bad is what drives a Community Ambassador to help young people in Nottinghamshire to make positive life choices.
Jen Mustoe-Castle has been in the role for the Violence Reduction Partnership for the past three-and-a-half years after being inspired to bring the experience she has gained working for a national sports-based mentoring charity to help people closer to home.
Her work as Chief Operating Officer at 3Pillars Project and previous roles has seen her helping children and young adults in the criminal justice system across England and even South Africa to overcome their challenges.
But the mother-of-one also wanted to have an impact on her doorstep in Nottinghamshire.
“I fundamentally believe that no young person, or any individual, is inherently predisposed to criminal behaviour,” said Jen.
“Research shows that early exposure to trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) significantly increases the likelihood of someone becoming involved in the criminal justice system.
“For instance, studies indicate that individuals with four or more ACEs are seven times more likely to be involved in violent crime compared to their peers with fewer or no ACEs.
It’s critical to recognise these underlying complexities that often result in young people coming into contact with services or entering the system.
“Having a comprehensive understanding of the key intervention points in a young person’s life is essential. The earlier we can engage with these individuals, the better chance we have of helping them make positive choices.
“A significant portion of my work takes place in youth offender institutions and prisons, and it's not uncommon for the young people there to express regret, wishing they had someone to talk to before their lives took a downward spiral.
“So being a Community Ambassador really give me an opportunity to help the young people before they become entrenched in the system.”
Community Ambassadors focus not only on tackling serious violence but also ensuring the residents in their communities have good mental health and wellbeing, access to skills, training and employment and the support to overcome problems impacting their lives.
The team is tasked with liaising with service providers and signposting individuals and families to their facilities as appropriate, attending community-based meetings, helping community groups and providers to deliver projects which support the VRP’s work, contributing to action plans on issues impacting the area and communicating key messages about the positive work under way in the area.
The Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire’s Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP) – a multiagency team of violence prevention specialists dedicated to preventing weapon-enabled violence and gang culture – has now recruited 17 passionate and driven people to become figureheads for safety in their local areas in a scheme that when launched in 2020 was the first of its kind in the county.
It is part of the VRP’s public health approach to crime which aims to empower communities to develop bespoke solutions to the issues impacting their local areas.
Jen said there were a number of similarities in the work she does, both as a Community Ambassador and for the 3Pillars Project, which uses sports mentoring as a way to focus on three core pillars of exercise, education, and ethos, as a foundation for effective rehabilitation.
She added: “The way that we work as ambassadors is that we come together as a team, and really that’s sport in itself – it’s coming together to be able to go towards a shared vision and a goal which we’re all able to do as ambassadors who are really passionate about helping young people.”
The Violence Reduction Partnership is Home Office funded and is responsible for the strategic leadership and coordination of activity across the City and County to reduce and prevent serious violence using a public health approach. The VRP team is a function of the Nottinghamshire Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (NOPCC).
Gary Godden, Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner and chair of the Violence Reduction Partnership, said: “Our Community Ambassadors play a key role in working with people at risk of becoming perpetrators or victims of violence and making a huge difference within their communities.
“With their dynamic insight and understanding of the areas in which they live and their established network of contacts, they are always looking to develop their work and ensure more vulnerable people are supported to help them prosper.
“Jen’s passion and commitment is incredibly important, and her work within the community is key to fostering the kind of positive environment that deters people from engaging in crime.”
If you feel you have the skills required and are interested in becoming a Community Ambassador, contact vrp@notts.police.uk.
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