LifeLine Projects

SW!TCH Communities

Building a lasting community response to Serious Youth Violence.

It takes a village to raise a child.

But knife crime is destroying the heart of our communities.

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SW!⁠TCH Communities helps local people introduce positive change into their neighbourhoods.

No two areas are ever alike—that's why our team works closely with local people of all ages and cultures to build a complete picture of the issues their neighbourhood is facing and how they can combat and resolve these issues.

Local people leading change

In order to have a lasting effect, the local community—particularly its young people—must be at the heart of positive change.

Stronger community connections

Regular meet-ups, events, and engagement with the community to help forge new relationships across different generations.

Activities for young people

A range of engaging activities —including both physical and creative—provide a positive outlet for young people and a chance to gather their views on the area.

A local response

Co-ordination between community leaders and professionals to highlight local needs, share plans, and form a response group to drive change.

Find our SW!⁠TCH Communities team in

Heathway, Barking and Dagenham

Harold Hill, Havering

Barkingside, Redbridge

Want to be a part of something?

Looking to get more involved in your community?

Leave us your details below and a member of our team will be in touch shortly with more information about how to join in!

Interested in bringing SW!⁠TCH Communities to your area?

Leave us your details and a member of our team will be in touch with more information about how SW!TCH Communities can be delivered.

By positioning local people at the forefront and guiding them to drive change in their area, we’re building a strong and resilient community that will last for years to come. It’s only with this truly joined-up approach that we can guide young people away from dangers like knife crime.

Ian Kane
SW!TCH Communities Manager, LifeLine Projects

Recent updates about SW!TCH Communities

Is mentoring the new political football?

Here at LifeLine, we have been working closely with the Mayor of London to mentor young people across the capital for the last 15 years. And, while the holder of the title has changed, we are pleased to see that this commitment to mentoring has remained broadly consistent throughout. Now, more than ever, we hope that the power of mentoring...

1 week ago

 by Nathan Singleton

Absenteeism: the legacy of lockdown

Educational neglect. Emotional-based schools avoidance. School refusal. Non-attending. Persistent absence. Serious absence. Missing. It's often said that the Inuit have dozens (or more) different words for snow, because they have a lot of it. We, however, seem to have a lot of different names for those repeatedly absent from school. What then does that say about the state of school...

1 month ago

 by Nathan Singleton

We want to double down and provide more support in London

Last month, I shared some thoughts I had whilst on sabbatical. I hope you didn't mind the excessive sharing or personal photos. I expected that, on my sabbatical, I might reconsider LifeLine's vision, mission, and activities. I thought visiting other charity leaders would inspire me with new ideas that I would be raring to apply to East London. I was...

5 months ago

 by Nathan Singleton

Celebrating SW!TCH on TikTok and in the sunday papers

Bursting onto TikTok Our SW!TCH team have recently started posting on TikTok, rapidly growing their following of young people to over 300 in a few months. As well as promoting upcoming activities, the team are able to provide a wider range of content for young people than in their face-to-face mentoring sessions–for example, key youth workers introduce themselves and share...

8 months ago

 by LifeLine Comms Team

London Borough of Havering
London Borough of Redbridge
Supported by Mayor of London

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