St Giles Trust's SOS Project won the advice, support and advocacy category at The Charity Awards 2014.  The project's leader, Junior Smart, is delighted that the judges recognised the importance of its work helping people to exit the vortex of gangs and violence.

I remember the moment our name was read out.  The whooping and thumping on the table from my team was deafening and I thought someone would whisper “keep the noise down!”  However, the racket we made was a validation of how much the win meant to us and I doubt I will ever forget it.

As we returned to work the following day – some of us feeling a little seedy from the late night – we downed our coffees and addressed the latest crisis facing one of our very challenging young clients.  He was lying in hospital recovering from a near-fatal stabbing as a result of a longstanding grudge with a rival gang.  However, he was scared and not talking to the police - or anyone for that matter - about what had happened for fear of reprisals.  My caseworker went along to the hospital to encourage him to open up.  We are optimistic – the caseworker concerned has been in a similar position to the young man so has that special advantage of being able to say: “I know what you’re going through”. After long, awkward silences, painful conversations begin to start.

St Giles Trust’s SOS Project helps some of the most damaged, difficult young people in the UK.  We offer intensive, tailored support to persistent and prolific young offenders in London to exit the negative vortex of gangs and violence that causes so much damage to themselves, their victims, the loved ones of both and wider society.  My small team help around 150 people each year to leave gangs and rebuild their lives away from this lifestyle.  Many more are helped to prevent drifting into gangs through our SOS+ preventative work with young people at risk.

Gangs and the issues around them are incredibly complex and best understood by people who have direct experience of the life.  The win at the Charity Awards was all the more remarkable because SOS is ex-offender led – nearly all the team have direct experience of the issues facing their clients.   As people with criminal records, we have faced multiple barriers in both our personal and professional lives. Many feel ex-offenders should not be trusted to provide projects such as SOS so to win ‘The Oscars’ of the charity sector was a vindication of this way of working.

So much has happened since we won that time has sped by and it seems like last week we were grinning at each other with joy and disbelief at the Grosvenor House Hotel.  The bad news is that we are seeing ever-growing need for our work. Gang-related tragedies are not disappearing.  In fact, we are seeing them spread further afield from London as gang leaders try to develop new drug markets in the suburbs and more rural areas.  The ‘foot soldiers’ at the bottom rung of gang hierarchy – those vulnerable young Londoners who make up much of our caseload – are those sent off to do the dirty work.  Coupled with the growing gentrification of parts of London and the relocation of the more disadvantaged families – which make up many of our clients’ families – away from its centre, we are very much aware that the gang problems of inner-city London are being exported elsewhere.  An extension of SOS beyond the capital is something that we are looking to develop and are trying to resource.

The good news is that the Charity Award really helped boost our profile and gave us added credibility among our existing and potential funders.  Staff at investment bank Nomura – who are supporting SOS as part of their two-year charity partnership with St Giles Trust – were delighted to learn of the news and it reinforced the fact that their tireless fundraising for SOS goes towards very valuable work.  Our other City supporter – independent investment bank Liberum – continued their support for the SOS+ project.

SOS has many loyal supporters and we hoped the win highlighted that it isn’t just us saying that SOS is an effective project – a panel of highly distinguished and experienced judges believes this too.

I personally would like to thank St Giles Trust for believing in me, as many organisations would never have given me the chance to do something so vital. I would like to thank my team who have worked so hard to make SOS the success it is today; their commitment and determination to help some of London’s most marginalised young people to come back from their negative lifestyles knows no bounds.  I would also like to thank The Charity Awards judging panel for having the belief in us.  My message to anyone thinking of entering the Awards is go for it – you might be thumping the table in a few months too!

Junior Smart is project leader, the SOS Project at St Giles Trust, winner of the advice, support and advocacy category at The Charity Awards 2014.

Entries are now open for The Charity Awards 2015, sponsored once again by Charities Aid Foundation.  Click here to find out more.